Irked by the violations of its directives on testing of departing passengers, the Presidential Task Force PTF on Covid-19 has directed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority NCAA, to place a ban on Emirates airlines operations into the country.
The ban is communicated in a letter dated 04 February, 2021 to the country Manager of emirates airlines Victoria Island, Lagos and signed by the Director General, NCAA, Captain Musa Nuhu.
The following are also copied the Chairman PTF, Minister of Aviation and the Minister of Health.
Others are National Coordinator PTF, Director General, UAE, General Civil Aviation Authority, MD NAMA and MD FAAN.
Giving reasons for the ban, the letter says it is because of the continued airlift of passengers from Nigeria using the Rapid Antigen Tests, RDT conducted by laboratories that are neither approved or authorized by the appropriate regulatory body which is in fragrant violation of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 directive.
“This is a violation of paragraph 5 of the NCAA letter with REF: NCAA/DG/AIR11/16/281 of 02 February 2021 addressed to your good self. The paragraph clearly states, “Based on the forgoing and to enable the Nigerian government to put in place the needed infrastructure and logistics for COVID-19 RDT testing for departing passengers, the PTF has directed that Emirates Airlines should either accept passengers without RDT pending when the infrastructure and logistics are put in place or suspend its flights to and from Nigeria until such a time when the required infrastructure and logistics are fully established and implemented”.
Captain Musa Nuhu in the letter says, the airline has not been in compliance with the two options given by the PTF as records of operated flights by Emirates airlines from Lagos and Abuja obtained from the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency NAMA has shown.
“This is in addition to an advert by Emirates airlines for RDT by the Travel clinic and medical Mobile Laboratory in Lagos and Abuja, two organization that are not approved by the regulatory bodies and PTF to conduct RDT for departing passengers”.
He says, the PTF takes these violations of its instructions seriously and as therefore directed that “Emirates should suspend its operations to Nigeria (Lagos and Abuja) effective 72 hours from midnight (2300z) on Thursday 04 February, 2021”.
“During the 72 hours leeway, Emirates airlines is only authorized to bring in passengers into Nigeria while outbound passengers are not allowed”.
“The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority will impose additional sanctions on Emirates airlines for the violations of the PTF directive and COVID-19 Protocols”.
“Emirates Airlineswill be informed in due time as when to resume operations to Nigeria”.
It lists the Emirates flights and date of operations as obtained from NAMA to include:
Date: 03 February 2021
Flight: UAE784
Aircraft type: B777-300
Registration Mark: A6EQA
Route: Lagos-Dubai
Passengers on board:195
Date: 03 February 2021
Flight: UAE786
Aircraft type: B777W
Registration Mark: A6EQD
Route: Abuja-Dubai
Passengers on board:154
Date: 04 February 2021
Flight: UAE784
Aircraft type: B777-300
Registration Mark: A6EQC
Route: Lagos-Dubai
Passengers on board:199
Date: 04 February 2021
Flight: UAE786
Aircraft type: B777W
Registration Mark: A6ECV
Route: Abuja-Dubai
Passengers on board:175
