Passengers travelling abroad through Nigeria’s airport terminals are required to arrive five hours before departure to undergo COVID-19 protocols, the Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, has said. The minister said this on Saturday at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, when announcing some of the measures introduced for the reopening of the country’s airports closed in March following outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.
Sirika, who led other members of Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 to inspect facilities put in place at the airport ahead of its reopening, said domestic travellers on their part would need to arrive three hours before departure for processing. According to him, this is in a bid to reduce sources of contamination of the virus. Sirika said that physical distancing had been established at various points of the airport, adding that this is done by marking the floors at the airports.
He said that physical distancing would now be required to be maintained right from the point of getting down from the vehicle that conveyed one to the airport. “We will provide polythene bags where passengers put all their things for protocol and we will ensure there is a minimal contact by the person screening you,’’ Sirika said.
The minister said that the number of seats at the departure lounge of the MMIA had been reduced to 50 from 500 in order to maintain social distancing. He further said that passengers must comply strictly to the wearing of face masks before entering the airports while aviation authorities would ensure provision of alcohol-based sanitiser at the airports.
The minister added that toilets at the airports were also COVID-19 compliant, stressing that everything is being done to minimise physical contact. Sirika said that the pilots, engineers, traffic controllers and catering staff, among others, at the airports were now certified and licensed to carry out certain activities only when they have the valid clearance.
The minister said that the number of seats at the departure lounge of the MMIA had been reduced to 50 from 500 in order to maintain social distancing. He further said that passengers must comply strictly to the wearing of face masks before entering the airports while aviation authorities would ensure provision of alcohol-based sanitiser at the airports.
The minister added that toilets at the airports were also COVID-19 compliant, stressing that everything is being done to minimise physical contact. Sirika said that the pilots, engineers, traffic controllers and catering staff, among others, at the airports were now certified and licensed to carry out certain activities only when they have the valid clearance.
He said that the aircrafts must be airworthy with full compliance to COVID-19 protocols, adding that the airports are set to be reopened. He said that there would be palliatives for operators of airlines because they had lost a lot. Dr Sani Aliyu, the PTF Coordinator, expressed satisfaction over full compliance with COVID-19 protocols at the airport. He said it showed that the airport was ready for reopening with strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols. Also speaking, the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said members of PTF were at the Murtala International Airport to inform Nigerians on the new protocols and processes guiding the reopening of airports. Other members of the PTF who were in Lagos to observe adherence to COVID-19 protocols were Minister of State for Health, Sen. Olorunibe Mamora; and Minister of State for Education, Mr Emeka Uwajiuba.
NAN via vanguard
NAN via vanguard
yeah. New protocols and trainings hv been going on for a while now.
ReplyDeleteThank God.
Delete5 whole hours.. 🤦♀️
ReplyDeleteWith lesser seats 😞.
DeleteI’m glad the airport’s are open 💃🏼💃🏼.
No international travels for me and my family this year. Not ready to take any risk just for holiday that isnt necessity. The kids are bored but till there is vaccine we will make do with entertaining ourselves in our local surroundings.
Delete@White enchantress, who said the airports are open? These are protocols they are putting in place ahead of whenever they decide to open oh.
DeleteAnonymous 13:48 don't go and kill your family with useless vaccines. The funny thing is that majority of healthcare workers said they will never take the vaccine but regular folks are ready to line up to be vaccinated with God-knows-what with no historical use. Side effect? Only time will tell.
DeleteGood one.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised to learn that they have seats at the airport. Na floor or on top my luggage I dey sit steady. The only seats they have are reserved.
DeleteI think the seats are for after check inn. I always seat on my luggage before check in, but after check in, there are seats upstairs.
DeleteOh OK anon, I get it now. Because before check in, u are so on ur own.
DeleteWhere will you fly to?
ReplyDeleteOther countries are also working to resume international travels. Some are working to receive summer vacationers sef. Countries that are very eager to get their tourism sector running are gearing up.
DeleteSee you
DeleteUnder your nose flights are even going on, heard UK didn’t shutdown their airspace
Ghana
DeleteECOWAS countries
People are travelling to UK from naija o. I think through private jets though.
DeleteDubai is already open too. Expo 2020 must hold oh!
DeleteOk.
ReplyDeletePeople have been flying in and out of the country with private jets. They should stop the charade
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 10:05, a little reasoning is all that is required. Please use what GOD freely gave you.
DeleteVery true,people been flying via PJ.
DeleteThe toilets at MMA are disgusting and unsanitary. Disgraceful.
ReplyDelete@10:07, please state when and which.
DeleteI was going to disagree with you, but it's possible that we have had different experiences.
It is well with those flying, come to think of it, I never enter airport before, chai Kogi state oo,dey should give us airport here so we can turn it to tourists site na😂😂
ReplyDeleteLol Treasures,
DeleteFirst, you'll need to have a progressive governor. Like what Donald Duke did for Calabar. And what the new governor is doing in Borno.
Maybe you should start a campaign to draw some attention to your state and maybe this will jumpstart your "young governor". I only see him on his treadmill, exercising away kogi's many problems.
You don’t need to be in there if you want to get exposure, Abj us Neigbour yo Kogi, whenever you enter Abj walk to the airport, just maybe it will be more strict now if you ain’t a passenger or a staff in there, but you can still pretend to be a passenger, view around, learn one or two things try and widen your horizons
Delete😄😄😄 @ 11:06,you is hilarious!
DeleteProtocols that they would never adhere to.... Mtchew
ReplyDeleteSeats from 500 to 50 so what happens to the other travelers?? They will stand? The chairs were not even enough before. Do we think In This country at all?? Pls we have more than 50 international travelers a day. I tire for the people that make these decisions
ReplyDeleteGod will save us from us Covid 19...
ReplyDeleteAll iz well. Las Las we go dey alright
ReplyDeleteGood news if u people don't change ur mid oo.
ReplyDeleteNa so so Lagos them dey talk since. What if Abuja airport? We no care about Lagos jare
ReplyDeleteThe world will not forget corona,
ReplyDeleteits has already enter the
Guinness book of record.