Abuja Airport receives first International commercial flight since March

An aircraft with registration number ET-AUC, operated by Ethiopia Airlines and conveying 120 passengers and 13 crew members from Addis Ababa, arrived the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at 1:32 pm on Monday.

It was reported that the flight is the first to be recorded at the airport since it was shut down in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak.

Speaking with newsmen after the flight arrived, Capt. Rabio Yadudu, the Director-General of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), described the feat as a huge breakthrough in the aviation industry in the country.

The director-general recalled that the Federal Government of Nigeria closed the nation’s airspace due to COVID-19 pandemic in March.

“The international flight that just arrived is a life saver to all of us in the aviation industry. The past seven months have been challenging to everybody in the sector.

“The first flight that did come into domestic wings gave us a lot of confidence that we were coming back. Now the international flight. I believe every stakeholder in the aviation sector is happy.

“Having multiple international flights in a day depends on the preparation of the airline. Our airport has resumed operation and we open our doors for the airlines. Some airlines are ready to resume today while some will be ready within the week,” he said.

According to him, FAAN is ready to accommodate and work with airlines that are not restricted.

Yadudu commended passengers for their patience and compliance with stated policy to avoid spreading COVID-19 in the airport.

Some passengers that spoke with our reporter frowned at the tedious nature of the processes they went through.

They complained about the long period it took to fill the COVID-19 Test Form online.

According to Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) tweeter handle (@Nigerian CAA), the BA, Emirate, Ethiopia, ASKY and Air Cote d`Ivoire flights are scheduled to arrive Abuja Monday.