According to The PUNCH, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has asked the aviation authorities and airline operators to begin the process for the restart of international flights.

With the reopening of domestic airports for domestic flights in July after over four months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, travellers had been in high hopes for the resumption of international flights.

But the PTF National Coordinator, Sani Aliyu, during a briefing on Thursday in Abuja, said the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and other agencies, as well as airlines, should commence the process for the restart of international flights.

According to Aliyu, passengers would arrive three hours before flights when the country’s airspace finally opens for international operations.

He said, “Specific to air transportation, as you are aware, domestic flights have already resumed, the railway sector has also restarted. For international travel, we have made recommendation to the aviation industry to commence the process for opening international airport provided all existing international and local Covid-19 protocol are in place.

“We have modified the protocol for passenger arrivals at the airports. Domestic passengers arriving at the airports are advised to arrive one hour before their flights and three hours before international flights when this restarts.”