BREAKING: Nigeria's aviation regulator extends closure of international airspace till October

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) stating that it is extending closure of international airspace until October 15 instead of August 19 as previously stated.

A source at NCAA, confirmed this development in a telephone interview with BusinessDay.

The source said international airports would remain closed until October.

He said there was never a time the Federal Government gave a specific date for reopening the airspace for international flight operations, but that the government had previously said the airports would be closed until August.

He clarified that with this extension, the airspace would remain closed until October and if there was a need to extend the closure, it would be communicated.

This implies that only essential and diplomatic flights would be allowed for now until the airspace is opened for international flight operations.

The Federal Government had in March shut down international airports in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19 but allowed only diplomatic and essential flight operations.

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.