As scheduled domestic flights resume today in Nigeria, only three of the five airlines granted approval are able to hit the skies.
Arik Air re-started commercial flight out of Lagos, joined by Air Peace and Ibom Air.
Arik took off to Abuja at 7.20a.m., just as Air Peace and Ibom Air had later morning flights at 10.30a.m. and 11a.m. respectively from Lagos to Abuja.
Dana Air said it would resume commercial flights on Thursday, while Overland planned to fly on July 15.
“We’re flying to Abuja at 11a.m. today, and from tomorrow we will move to two flights – 7am and 11 am,” said the Chief Operating Officer of Ibom Air, George Ureisi.
Dana said it would be operating three daily flights from Lagos to Abuja and back when it resumes operations tomorrow, while the date for the addition of Port Harcourt and Owerri would be announced later.
The COO Dana Air, Obi Mbanuzuo, said, “Dana Air is ready to fly safely again from July 9. We have worked round the clock with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to achieve this safe resumption of flights, and we are introducing other initiatives soon in line with the present realities and the need to minimise contacts at the airport.”
Chairman of NCAA COVID-19 Committee, Godwin Balang, had on Tuesday night during a webinar announced that the authority granted approval to only five airlines to restart today, namely Air Peace, Arik Air, Dana Airlines, Ibom Air and Overland Airways.
The committee denied approval for Aero Contractors, Azman Air and Max Air to restart today.
Financial Street gathered that for charter operators, Allied Air Limited, ANAP Business Jets and Bristow Helicopters had so far complied with the NCAA regulations, according to the committee.
While it revealed that all domestic airports scored an aggregate 87.2 per cent but only Murtala Muhammed International Airport, GAT; Murtala Muhammed International Airport 2; Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja were given approval to restart.
