Effective Tuesday, December 14, the federal government will restrict airlines from Canada, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia in Nigeria.
Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika announced the decision on Sunday in Lagos, explaining that it was to correspond to restricted flights from Nigeria to those countries on the new COVID-19 variant. Omicron.
Sirika said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration would also put the UK, Canada and Saudi Arabia on a red list for the outbreak and spread of the Omicron variant.
The minister noted that if those countries put Nigeria on a red list, they lacked the moral right to have their airlines fly to Nigeria on commercial operations.
“There is also the case of Saudi Arabia which put Nigeria on the ban list. On Sunday I participated in a meeting with the COVID-19 working group.
“We have given our opinion that it is not acceptable to us and we recommend that Canada, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and Argentina also be included in the red list.
“As they did with us, if they do not allow our citizens to enter their countries; Who do they come to, like airlines, to pick up from our country?
“They are not supposed to go in. I am very sure that in the next three days; Monday or Tuesday, all those countries will be put on the COVID-19 red list, ” said the minister.
He stressed that airlines from affected countries remained banned and countries included on Nigeria’s red list.
Sirika apologized to Nigerians who intended to travel to those countries, but said the Nigerian government’s decision was in the interest of the country.
(YAYA)