The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has released new travel and quarantine protocols for all passengers arriving Nigeria from the United Kingdom and South Africa.
The NCAA Director-General, Musa Nuhu, issued the protocol and warnings in a letter released in Abuja on Sunday, December 27. Recall that a new variant of the novel Coronavirus has been recorded in the United Kingdom and South Africa. While other countries have barred all flights from these countries, the NCAA has decided to adopt new guidelines for passengers from these countries.
According to the letter, passengers from these countries must present the following documents in order to be allowed to board their flights to Nigeria.
“Pre-departure “PERMIT TO FLY/QR code“generated from the Nigeria International Travel Portal (https://nitp.ncdc.gov.ng) showing evidence of payment for the post-arrival day 7 COVID-19 PCR test and;
“Documentary evidence of a “NEGATIVE COVID-19“ PCR result done within 96 hours (4 days) of boarding from a verifiable laboratory or health facility”
The NCAA boss stated that passengers would be received and processed separately by the Public Health Authority on arrival in Nigeria. He added that all passengers would be required to self-isolate for seven days after arrival followed by a COVID-19 PCR test.
He stated that a dedicated register of arriving passengers from the United Kingdom and South Africa would be opened for enhanced surveillance and active enforcement of the protocols.
He stated that the failure of the airlines from UK and South Africa to adhere strictly to the new travel rules will attract a penalty of $3,500 for each passenger boarded.
“The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 over the weekend issued new travel rules for passengers on direct flights from the UK and South Africa due to the variance of coronavirus discovered recently in these two countries.
“The penalty is a fine of $3,500 for each passenger boarded and who fails to meet the new travel measures recently announced by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19,” the letter read
The NCAA boss added that punitive measures shall also be taken against airlines that are non-compliant. These punitive measures include but not limited to the following:
“(i) Airlines shall be fined $3,500 (Three thousand five hundred dollars) for each defaulting passenger.
(ii)Airlines may be required to return non-Nigerian defaulting passengers to point of embarkation.
(iii) Repeated non-compliance by any airline will lead to the suspension of the airline’s approval/permit to fly into the country.”
