August 29 date for resumption of int’l flights not sacrosanct – PTF

The Coordinator of Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu, said on Monday the August 29 resumption of international flights was not sacrosanct.

Aliyu, who made the clarification at the PTF daily briefing on Monday, however, explained that the date would be for consideration of the resumption of flights.

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had announced earlier on Monday that international flight operations would resume at the nation’s airports on August 29.

Sirika, who disclosed this on his Twitter handle, said the services would commence at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, in the first instance.

However, Aliyu said at the PTF briefing the date was not sacrosanct but if aviation authorities meet the criteria for resumption on August 29, they would be given the green light to resume operations.

He said: “We will spend a whole day to discuss international travel and how this will be done.

READ ALSO: Nigeria to resume international flights operations August 29

“We are grateful to CACOVID and its partners for helping to support this process, because it would help us to expedite action of the airport.

“And if I may clarify, we said from August 29, we didn’t say on August 29. So, very similar to what we did for the domestic flights.

“Don’t come back and say that we promised we will open on August 29, but that date is not sacrosanct, but we will work towards it.

“We will seriously try and deliver it but from August 29 as far as the PTF is concerned, if aviation comes to us and say they are ready from August 29, we will say please go ahead. If they come back on August 28 it is too early.”

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