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Hospitality & Travel
FG hints international flight operations may resume before October
The Federal Government has been under pressure to commence international flight operations.
The Federal Government has announced that international flight operations might be resuming before October 2020, despite the ban of flight operations from Europe, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and others.
The disclosure was made by the Minister for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, in a tweet post through his official Twitter handle on Tuesday, July 21, 2020.
READ ALSO: Power: UAE builds energy Plant in Lagos
This is a clarification from the minister is coming after the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) had issued a routine 90-day Notices to Airmen (NOTAM). This forecloses the resumption of international flight operations around August.
A notice to airmen is a notice filed with an aviation authority to alert aircraft pilots of potential hazards along a flight route or at a location that could affect the safety of the flight.
READ ALSO: Reps to investigate alleged illegal withdrawal of $1.05 billion from NLNG account
Hadi Sirika in the tweet post said, “International flight resumption date is not October. NAMA just issued a routine 90 days Notices to Airmen (NOTAM). In liaison with Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, we will announce the agreed date, regardless of the ban by Europe, United Arab Emirates (UAE), etc. may be earlier than October.’’
The Federal Government has been under pressure from some stakeholders in the aviation industry to start international flight operations especially with the resumption of domestic flight operations earlier in July.
READ MORE: Covid-19: British High Commission to resume visa application in Nigeria
Nairametrics had earlier reported the statement from the Aviation Ministry that passengers looking to travel out of the country will have to wait a bit longer as the dates for the resumption of international flights in and out of the country will be announced later.
The Federal Government had suspended international flight operations into the country on March 21 which was one of the measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease.
International Flight resumption date is not October. NAMA just issued a routine 90 day Notices to Airmen (NOTAM). In liaison with Health, Foreign Affairs & PTF COVID-19, we will announce the agreed date, regardless of the ban by Europe, UAE etc. May be earlier than October. 🙏🏽🇳🇬
— Hadi Sirika (@hadisirika) July 21, 2020
Around the World
President Biden directs international air travelers must quarantine upon arrival
President Joe Biden has directed international air travellers to quarantine upon arrival in the United States.
The United States President Joe Biden has issued an executive order on Thursday that makes it mandatory for international air travellers to quarantine upon arrival in the US.
Similarly, the executive order also includes a directive that all interstate travellers in the US will be expected to wear a face mask. This travel order applies to airports and planes, trains, ferries, intercity buses and public transportation, but grants them the ability to issue exemptions.
READ: Here is reason Turkish Airlines was allowed to land in Abuja
What the US President is saying in the executive order
According to a report from Reuters, President Biden’s order says, ‘‘To the extent, feasible air travellers must comply with applicable U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines concerning international travel ‘including recommended periods of self-quarantine.”
However, the executive order does not explain how it will be enforced as the implementation still remains quite hazy.
READ: A Joe Biden presidency and its impact on Nigeria’s oil
The order also directs US agencies to engage with Canada and Mexico on public health protocols for land ports of entry including implementing CDC guidelines. Almost all non-essential travel at US land borders with Canada and Mexico has been suspended till February 21.
The CDC recommends a 7-day quarantine for people arriving in the United States from nearly all countries.
READ: Biden reverses US immigration ban on Nigeria, others
Biden is directing agencies to reconsider international contact tracing requirements for U.S.-bound passengers, which was abandoned by the Trump White House, as well as the possibility of follow-up Covid-19 testing for travellers after they arrive in the United States.
In addition, the US President has also directed that all travellers including US citizens, will be required to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test before entering the country from abroad in an order that underscores the CDC policy announced last week.
READ: Air travellers across Nigerian Airports hit 8.5 million in 6-month
What you should know
- It can be recalled that the Trump administration had resisted calls for the enforcement of a mask-wearing requirement.
- The Biden administration has also announced that it would reimpose coronavirus-related ban on most non-U.S. citizens arriving from European Union, Brazil, the United Kingdom.
- This follows the lifting of the restrictions by former US President, Donald Trump through an executive order on Monday.
Hospitality & Travel
Biden reverses US immigration ban on Nigeria, others
US President, Joe Biden has signed an executive order to repeal the immigrant visa ban on Nigeria and others.
Newly-elected President, Joe Biden has signed his first executive orders as US President including reversing a Donald Trump-administration travel ban on 13 countries which were mainly Muslim and African nations.
Biden’s executive orders, amongst other acts, also returns the US back to the Paris Climate agreement and stopping the construction of the border wall with Mexico.
This was disclosed in a report by Reuters after Biden signed 15 executive actions immediately after his inauguration.
“In the coming days and weeks, we will be announcing additional executive actions that confront these challenges and deliver on the president-elect’s promises to the American people,” Jen Psaki, Biden’s press secretary said.
Other actions by Biden include reversing the Presidential permit for the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline.
What you should know
- Donald’s Trump administration introduced a ban on citizens from countries which was upheld at the US Supreme Court, barring citizens of seven countries — Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Venezuela, and North Korea — from obtaining any kind of visas, and largely preventing them from entering the US.
- Nairametrics reported that the US subsequently added six more countries to its travel ban list. They were Nigeria, Eritrea, Sudan, Tanzania, Kyrgyzstan and Myanmar. The extra ban meant citizens were allowed to visit but were banned from settling permanently in the United States.
- US government gave conditions to get it to review Nigeria’s status on the ban list, including getting Nigeria to improve on its data intelligence such that it would be easy to investigate any immigrant wishing to visit the United States and meet information-sharing systems.
- In August 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari disclosed that it will take enormous resources to reverse the ban on immigrant visas for Nigerians by the United States Government. He also noted that the country was making some progress in that regard.
Biden’s reversal of Trump’s policies is part of an aggressive push to roll back some of his predecessor’s strict and controversial immigration policies which have been condemned by world leaders and civil groups in the past.
Hospitality & Travel
Transport Fare Watch: Commuters by bus journey intercity paid more in December 2020
NBS report indicates that commuters paid more for bus journey intercity in December 2020 than they did in November 2020.
Onyema Maxwell
July 22, 2020 at 8:43 pm
Please sir what’s the fate for Nigerians in the united Arab Emirates that are stranded, UAE government only gave one month grace period to exit the country which starts from July 12 to end August 11.please the Federal government should help. Thanks