FG stops international flights at Lagos, Abuja airports

murtala muhammed international-airport lagos-nigeria

The Federal Government has shut the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; and Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja effective Monday.

Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Musa Nuhu, announced this in a statement on Saturday.

Three other international airports in Kano, Enugu and Port Harcourt had earlier been shut for flight operations.

Nuhu said the closure would last till April 23, adding that emergency and essential flights would be operated from both airports within the period.

“Further to our earlier letter on restriction of international flights into Nigeria, we wish to inform you that effective Monday 23 March at 2300Z to 23 April at 2300z, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos (DNMM) and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja (DNAA) will be closed to international flights,” the statement read.

“This is in addition to the closure of Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano (DNKN); Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu (DNEN); and Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa (DNPO) effective Saturday, 21 March at 2300Z.

“Henceforth, all airports in Nigeria are closed to all incoming international flights with the exception of emergency and essential flights.”

Nuhu said the measure was expedient due to the ravaging coronavirus pandemic which jumped from 12 to 22 cases in Nigeria.

He noted that domestic flight operations would continue normally in all airports in the country.