Months after resumption of flight operations in the country on domestic routes due to the pandemic, Passengers on domestic flight will henceforth get packaged meals during disembarkation.
The serving of meals onboard the flight was suspended by the authorities to prevent the further spread of the virus through human contact and other means.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in a letter to all concerned, namely, airline operators, catering service providers says, “Domestic airlines shall serve pre-packed catering products (Meals, snacks etc) in sealed containers to their passengers during disembarkation. No catering products shall be served or consumed in-flight by airlines or passengers respectively on any domestic flight”.
In the letter captioned, “Public health guidelines for companies providing in flight catering services to airlines operating domestic flights” and signed by the Director General, NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu, only pre-packaged meals, (foods and snacks) can be served on the flight by catering companies who have carried out the appropriate risk assessment as approved by the NCAA.
“Catering Service providers have been identified by the Authority as one of the key service providers to airlines that are required to put in place COVID-19 risk management measures to assure the travelling public that catering products (meals, snacks etc) served on board flights are not a potential source of COVID-19 infection”.
“With the resumption of domestic flight operations in the country in-flight catering companies were required by the Authority to carry out regular risk assessments of their operations and put in place remedial actions to address any identified hazard to prevent the possible spread of COVID-19 virus to their customers through their products”.
The letter concludes that “non-compliance shall attract appropriate sanctions”.
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