Matilda Omonaiye/
Following the initial refusal of air traffic control to grant landing permission to a DHL cargo aircraft at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos yesterday, aviation minister, Hadi Sirika, has issued further clarifications on the shutdown of all international airports in the country.
The federal government shut all the nation’s international airports, including the MMIA and the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, on Monday after a sudden rise in the number of coronavirus cases in the country.
NewsmakersNG learnt that the plane had requested permission to land at the airport around 3pm but was denied by air traffic control.
It reportedly hovered in the air for about 30 minutes before it was eventually granted landing permission, after it was ascertained that it was carrying essential supplies.
Owing to this development, the minister issued further clarifications on the requirements for granting exemptions to aircrafts during the period of the shutdown.
According the minister, all request for exemption for diplomatic flights must be routed through the ministry of foreign affairs, medical evacuations will require recommendation of a teaching hospital, while cargo flights must front load their packing list.
In a tweet, today, Sirika wrote, “COVID-19. All diplomatic flight requests MUST be routed through MFA. All medical evacuations MUST have a teaching hospital stamp. All Cargo flights MUST front load the packing list. At all times crews MUST remain onboard.”
Sirika in an earlier statement annoucing the airport closure said it will last one month in the first instance.
He noted that exemption would only be made for cargo planes carrying relief or essential materials and flights on humanitarian mission, adding that such aircrafts must however secure prior approval from his office.
See Sirika’s tweet: