About 1,500 passengers expected in Lagos and Abuja every week as international flights resume

AS many as 15,000 arrivals are expected in Nigeria a week following the decision of the federal government to open up its airspace and resume international flights yesterday in the last phase of easing the coronavirus lockdown.

Like most other nations, Nigeria shut down her airspace in response to the coronavirus pandemic. halting all flights in and out of the country. Over the last month, domestic flights resumed but it was not until yesterday that international operations began again, with the Abuja and Lagos airports opening for business.

With their being a huge backlog of Nigerians stranded abroad during the pandemic, it is expected that there will be a deluge of returnees. Aviation minister Senator Hadi Sirika, said 14 international airlines had been granted approval to operate in the country and for now will only land at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja and the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos.

China, the UK and the US, have been identified as the destinations where most Nigerians will be arriving from but this poses several health risks, as incidentally, they are countries with high numbers of coronavirus cases. According a report put together by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), there will be 88 flights to the two airports with 47 landing in Lagos airport and 41 arriving in Abuja weekly.

NCAA director-general Captain Musa Nuhu, said each flight would only carry a maximum of 200 passengers, regardless of the fact that many of the aircraft used by the foreign airlines have an average capacity of about 300. This means that the 88 weekly flights into the two airports multiplied by the 200 passengers approved per flight would give 17,600 passengers weekly.

Airlines allowed to fly to and from Lagos on Mondays are Turkish Airlines, Air Senegal, Virgin Atlantic, Qatar Airways, Africa World Airlines, Emirates and British Airways. Those allowed to fly into Abuja are British Airways, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Asky Airlines and Air Cote d’Ivoire.

On Tuesdays, British Airways, Egypt Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Asky Airlines, Kenya Airways and Air Cote d’Ivoire are allowed to fly to/from Lagos, while British Airways, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Africa World Airlines and Turkish Airlines are allowed to operate to/from Abuja. On Wednesdays, Delta Airlines, Emirates, Air Senegal, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways and Middle East Airlines are to operate in Lagos airport while British Airways, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Asky Airlines, Air Cote d’Ivoire and Africa World Airlines are allowed to operate to/from Abuja.

On Thursdays, British Airways, Delta Airlines, Egypt Air, Virgin Atlantic, Ethiopian Airlines, Qatar Airways and Africa World Airlines have approval to fly into Lagos while British Airways, Egypt Air, Emirates, Africa World Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Turkish Airlines and Air Cote d’Ivoire have approval to fly to/from Abuja. On Fridays, Air Senegal, Asky Airlines, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Africa World Airlines, Kenya Airways and Middle East Airlines are allowed to fly to/from Lagos while British Airways, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Asky Airlines and Middle East Airlines have approval to fly to/from Abuja.

On Saturdays, British Airways, Delta Airlines,  Qatar Airways, Africa World Airlines, Kenya Airways, Middle East Airlines and Air Cote d’Ivoire are allowed to operate in Lagos while British Airways, Egypt Air, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Africa World Airlines, Middle East Airlines and Turkish Airlines are allowed to fly to/from Abuja. On Sundays, Delta Air, Air Senegal, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates, Africa World Airlines, Kenya Airways and Turkish Airlines are allowed to fly to/from Lagos, while British Airways, Egypt Air, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Asky Airlines and Air Cote d’Ivoire are allowed to fly to/from Lagos.