The Federal Government has placed a 72-hour suspension on outbound Emirates flights from Nigeria, following a violation of the Presidential Task Force’s guidelines on COVID-19.
The Nigerian government directed the airlines to suspend its operations for 72 hours effective from midnight on Thursday, February 4, 2021.
According to a circular issued by the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Musa Nuhu, the airline has been airlifting passengers from Nigeria using unauthorised laboratories.
Nuhu said the ban on flights was because Emirates Airlines failed to comply with the two options given by the PTF.
He added that the Airlines operated the flights from Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.
Meanwhile, the NCAA DG disclosed that Emirates Airlines is only authorised to bring passengers into Nigeria, while outbound passengers are not allowed.
The suspension is coming a few days after the Dubai International Airport operators in the United Arab Emirates release new travel conditions for Nigerian passengers.
The PTF had earlier warned Nigerians against travelling to Kogi, Yobe, Jigawa, Zamfara and Kebbi State.
Also, the PTF said it would not hesitate to shut down schools in the country should there be a spike in COVID-19 cases recorded in Nigeria.
The PTF National Incident Manager, Mukhtar Muhammed, stated this in a video posted on Twitter as PTF warns Nigerians about the virus.
According to Muhammed, the issue of school reopening is something that the PTF has discussed very extensively.