By Gideon Njoku
For Nigerians hoping that the ban on domestic flights will be lifted soon, it is hope dashed.
The Federal Government has extended the ban on domestic flights by one month.
The extension was announced Wednesday, by the Secretary to The Government of the Federation, and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, at the PTF’s daily briefing.
Domestic flights were stopped from operating since the last week of February, while international flights stopped their flights in and out of Nigeria since March the 23rd.
Last week, the Minister for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had announced that because of the sensitive nature of the Aviation Industry, the protocols of lifting the ban was going to be well thought out.
For instance, he said, about 23 commercial aircraft will be decontaminated. As at last week, only two, out of the 23, have undergone the process. He, also, spoke on the need to decontaminate the airports. None of them has, so far, undergone the process.
Nigeria’s index case, an Italian, came in through the MMIA, Lagos.
Most high profile cases in Nigeria were imported through the airports from outside the country.
The extension will worsen the situation of airlines which have been reeling under huge losses and debts.
