FG extends closure of airports by two weeks

The Federal Government has extended the closure of airports in the country by two weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Hadi Sirika, the minister of aviation, disclosed this on Monday.

The federal government had shut all international airports in the country on Monday, March 23 for one month as a result of the increase in the spread of COVID-19 but confirmed essential flights will still operate. .

The Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport Abuja are two major entry points into Nigeria.

The essential flights include aircraft in state of emergency, over flights, operations related to humanitarian aid, medical and relief flights, alternate aerodrome identified in the flight plan, technical stop where passengers do not disembark, cargo flights and other safety related operations.

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But announcing on Monday via Twitter, the aviation minister said the airports would no longer open for commercial operations on April 23 due to the extended lockdown in the three cities.

He said, “As a result of the extension on lockdown by Mr President, it is no longer possible for us to open our airspace and airports for normal operations by the 23rd April 2020.

“They will remain closed for a further two weeks. This subject to review as appropriate.”

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.