Nigeria may ban flights from UAE and Netherlands.
Nigeria may ban flights from UAE and Netherlands due to covid-19 testing. Airlines from both countries used rapid COVID-19 tests on customers before they could board flights to Dubai.
The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 threatened to stop flights from the UAE and The Netherlands as a corresponding decision.
The task force stated that the Ministry of Aviation and its important agencies had been instructed to take the necessary measures.
Measures are accepted under the laws and other worldwide obligations.
It is important to take these measures as they are expected to be discharged against Emirates airlines operating from the UAE and other airlines from The Netherlands.
Boss Mustapha, who is the Chairman of PTF and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, disclosed this at the routine briefing of the committee in Abuja on Monday.
Mr. Mustapha said: “For over a month, Nigeria had been involved with the authorities of the UAE and The Netherlands over carrying out tests before departure and requirements passengers ought to meet before traveling from Nigeria.
According to the chairman, the PTF has instructed the Ministry of Aviation and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, to take necessary measures. The measures are allowed as long as it is permitted under the laws and other international obligations expected to discharge.
In February 2021, the Nigerian government banned Emirates temporarily because the airline went against guidelines supplied by the COVID-19 PTF.
The airline accepted passengers for boarding that had fast COVID test certificates issued by laboratories not part of the list of ones obtained by the officials in charge.
UAE and The Netherlands have to face the restriction on flying passengers out of Nigeria again because the airline used rapid COVID-19 tests on passengers before they were permitted to board flights to Dubai.
Some passengers were presenting false PCR certificates to override existing pre-flight testing rules. Hence, the reason for including the rapid testing.
Passengers taking a trip from Lagos and Abuja to Dubai must take a COVID-19 test within 72-hours of departure and another test on arrival in Dubai.
Only laboratories accepted by the Dubai authorities would be used because of fears that some testing centers weren’t providing accurate results.
NAN stated that the NCAA initially explained that they asked Emirates not to press ahead with its pre-flight rapid testing requirement until the government had approved the test provider.
The NCAA says the airline Emirates “failed to adhere” its request.
(NAN)