FG to ban airlines that fail to comply with COVID-19 protocols

The federal government of Nigeria has said that non-compliance to its pre-boarding requirements by any airline will attract a penalty of $3,500 per passenger.

Airlines that consistently fail to comply with its laid down Covid-19 protocols will be banned from coming to Nigeria.

This was contained in a circular issued to all airline operators by the federal government through the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) titled, ‘Revised Provisional Quarantine Protocol for Travellers Arriving or Departing Nigeria’.

The protocol states that airlines are only to board passengers travelling to Nigeria who are in possession of a paid permit to travel with a QR Code and result of negative COVID-19 PCR test done not later than 48 hours from the time of boarding.

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According to the circular, for any inbound passenger who is unable to either make payment for his/her repeat PCR tests or generate a paid permit to travel via the Nigerian International Travel Portal (NITP), airlines are to send an email to designated government emails for necessary assistance.

“For outbound passengers, airlines are only to board passengers travelling out of Nigeria with evidence of either full vaccination for COVID-19 or result of Negative COVID-19 PCR test done at Nigeria Center for Disease (NCDC) accredited private laboratories (list available@ COVID-19.ncdc.gov.ng/private labs) not later than 48 hours from the time of boarding,” the circular added.

The NCAA stated that the All-Operator’s Letter (AOL) is to convey to all airlines operating international flights into and out of Nigeria the revised provisional quarantine protocol for travellers arriving and departing Nigeria as issued by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19.