Resumption: Many airlines not ready, says NCAA

As the country gears up to restart commercial flights, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority says several airlines have not fully met the requirements for resumption.

We had earlier reported that the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 at its briefing on Monday okayed the resumption of domestic flights “as soon as practicable” and “in line with existing international and local guidelines on COVID-19”.

In preparation for the new normal, the regulatory body had on Saturday organised a test flight to-and-fro the Lagos Airport and the Abuja Airport.

But in a statement on Tuesday signed by the NCAA Director-General, Musa Nuhu, the Authority said many of the local airlines in the country were yet to submit their safety risk assessment.

Nuhu said, “The NCAA has reviewed the status of all airline operators’ preparation for the airline industry restart and discovered that several airlines are still lagging in submitting safety risk management.

“The NCAA has determined that all personnel whose licences had expired from 1st April 2020 can continue to exercise the privileges of their licences and/ratings for another extended period of up to 31st July 2020. This is to enable the airlines to comply with the conditions and limitations of the exemptions and give ample time to NCAA for the renewal of those licences.”

The country’s airspace and airports had been shut since March to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus infection but essential flights have since been operating.