Specifically, KLM and Air France are not approved to fly into the country because airlines with tourists visas are not allowed entry.
The Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, announced this at the briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Thursday held at the international wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja.
Sirika said in readiness for the reopening all aviation preparations and COVID-19 protocols have been perfected.
The minister said the airlines allowed to fly into Nigeria with appropriate COVID-19 protocols are British Airlines, Delta, Emirates, Quarter, Middle East, Turkish, Egypt Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, among others.
He said intending passengers must register online, pay for COVID-19 test fee and upload the COVID-19 negative result at least 72 hours before boarding.
Warning against sharp practices among airlines, Sirika said any airline caught with passengers without COVID-19 negative result would be punished and be made to pay $3500 fine for each passenger and the passenger returned.
On the reasons for ban and the principle of reciprocity being applied to some countries, the minister said Nigeria was simply following what each country had done to it.
“We will go ahead and implement the principle of reciprocity to all countries that have banned flights from Nigeria.”
Some of the countries which have already banned flights from Nigeria are in the European Union as they included Nigeria on the list of banned countries on July 1, 2020 when they opened their airspace to international flights.
Before the commencement of the briefing, the PTF team had undertaken an inspection of the airport which have been adequately marked for social distancing with necessary signals placed across the airport.
Also, hand sanitizers, water for hand washing and all necessary non-pharmaceuticals protocols have been installed at the airports in readiness for the resumption of flights.
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