“FG’s flight restrictions: A ruse?
The plan by the Federal Government to contain the spread of Coronavirus and social distancing through flight restrictions may not yield the desire result as charter flight services are going on as usual. Aside the usual charter flight services, commercial airline operations are still on-going under the guise of ‘emergency’ flight services.
Not a few believe that the total lockdown of some states in Nigeria especially in Lagos, Abuja and Ogun State is a ruse, an indicator to the rise of COVID-19 cases in these states.
An aviation expert who spoke to Woleshadarenews under condition of anonymity said a different approach is in place in South Africa where the airspace is ‘closed’ with the turning back of flights even when they are ‘authorized’.
Our correspondent learnt that many operators including wealthy Nigerians are hiding under the ‘Emergency and Humanitarian’ flight permits window granted by the Federal Government to critical flight services to violate President Muhammadu Buhari’s order to bring down the spread of the deadly virus.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) are giving clearance to all manner of flights into and within Nigeria.
It was learnt that Execujet is currently operating charter flights likewise some other firms. Some wealthy Nigerians still travel from one city to the other under the guise of getting ‘travel permit’.
ExecuJet is a leading global business aviation organisation offering a diverse range of services including aircraft management for private and commercial airplanes.
Given all the international flights they are doing, it is doubtful and impossible they are quarantining their pilots on return.
Many have questioned the modalities for the screening of evacuees for Coronavirus on or before they are lumped into aircraft to their various countries.
A video which had gone viral shows the lack of social distancing at the Lagos airport as the nationals from a country (Name with held) numbering over 500 struggled amongst themselves to know if their names were among those penciled down to make the evacuation flight.
The source told this newspaper that South Africa is on a lockdown, adding that they have not been accepting flights to land or take off.
According to him, “Recently, a citizen landed from Zimbabwe with a private jet. They stopped him and sent him away. It is in the news. Permission is nearly impossible to get”.
A call was put through to a South African aircraft charter firm by Woleshadarenews for a pick-up of a VIP from Nigeria. The firm said they have airplanes in abundance but disclosed that it would be impossible to get permission to operate out of South Africa.
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