FG suspends Emirates Airlines over violations of COVID-19 protocols

 

• accused of air lifting passengers using the Rapid Antigen Test conducted by unauthorized laboratories

Federal Government Nigerian on Friday, suspended the flight operations of Emirates from Lagos and Abuja over violation of COVID-19 protocols.

The message conveying the suspension was sent to the United Arab Emirates carrier through the industry regulator: Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

A letter signed by NCAA’s Director General, Captain Musa Nuhu and dated February 4, 2020 with reference number NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/285, addressed to the Country Manager of Emirates Airlines in Nigeria, stated that the airline has violated the protocols set by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.

It added that the airline ‘has continued to airlift passengers from Nigeria using the Rapid Antigen Test (RDT) conducted by laboratories that are neither approved nor authorized by the appropriate regulatory bodies’.

The letter titled: ‘Suspension of Emirates Airlines Operations to Nigeria’, reads: ” It has been brought to the attention of the Presidential Task Force of COVID-19 (PTF) that Emirates airlines has continued to airlift passengers from Nigeria using Rapid Antigen Test (RDT) conducted by laboratories that are neither approved nor authorized by the appropriate regulatory bodies.

“This is a violation of paragraph 5 of the NCAA letter with Re; NCAA/DG/AIR11/16/281 of 02 February, 2021, addressed to your good self. The Paragraph clearly states:

“Based on the foregoing 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 the logistics are put in place or suspends its flights to and from Nigeria until such a time when the required infrastructure and logistics are fully established and implemented,” the letter reads.

The NCAA added that, ‘Emirates has not been in compliance with the two options given by the PTF as record obtained from the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) indicates that Emirates airline operated flights from Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

“This is in addition to an advert by Emirates Airlines for RDT by The Travel Clinic and Medicaid Mobile Laboratory in Lagos and Abuja, two organisations that are not approved by the appropriate regulatory bodies and PTF to conduct RDT for departing passengers.”

 

The letter added that the PTF takes the violations of the instructions seriously and has directed that Emirates airlines should suspend its operations to Nigeria (Lagos and Abuja) effective 72 hours from midnight (23.00z) on Thursday, February 4, 2021.

It added that ‘during the 72-hour leeway, Emirates airlines is only authorized to bring passengers into Nigeria, outbound passengers are not authorized.

“Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority will impose additional sanctions on Emirates for the violations of the PTF directive and COVID-19 protocols.

“Emirates airlines will be informed in due time as when to resume operations to Nigeria,” the NCAA said.

Recall that last week, Dubai Airport Authority issued some travel protocol to passengers travelling from Nigeria.

The Dubai Airport operations control Centre notice to travel partners issued last week indicates that the airport would only welcome passengers travelling directly from Nigeria.

It indicates further that passengers would not be allowed to connect Dubai from any other country or station if they have visited Nigeria or transited via Nigeria in the last 14 days to the travel date.

The concern raised by stakeholders is that Nigerian carrier, Air Peace, which operates to Dubai via Sharjah (another city/airport/station), may be affected by the new protocol since its passengers would be connecting Dubai via Sharjah.

In the notice titled: ‘Dubai Travel Protocol Update-Travel from Nigeria’ the partners were advised that effective from February 2021,

– All passengers required to obtain a negative COVID-19 certificate, the PCR should be conducted within 72 hours of the date of departure;

– All passengers are required to conduct a rapid COVID-19 test and obtain a negative result within four hours of their departure time.

– Passengers must travel directly from Nigeria to Dubai. No passengers may enter Dubai from any other country/station if they have visited or transited via Nigeria in the last 14 days.