COVID-19: Domestic flights resume operations at Lagos Airport
By Olamilekan FAWAS
Lago) Some domestic airlines on Wednesday resumed operations following three months of COVID-19 lockdown.
TBI Africa correspondent who monitored resumption of the airlines at both GAT Alpha and MM2 terminals in Lagos, reports that few passengers were seen boarding, while social distancing and other precautionary measures, were observed.
TBI Africa recalls that the Federal Government had directed the resumption of domestic flights on July 8, after the March 30 lockdown of the airlines.
As at 6.30a.m., Arik Air passengers had started boarding for the first flight from Lagos to Abuja, which was scheduled to leave by 7a.m.
TBI Africa also observed that all passengers complied with the COVID-19 preventive screening measures before boarding, while all stores within the airport were still under lock and keys.
A check by TBI Africa brevealed that there had been a significant increase in the airfares as some airlines resumed operations (today) Wednesday.
The airlines raised their fares in all class of tickets for one-hour flights from Lagos to Abuja.
Air Peace for its economy-Flexi Domestic plan was sold for N33,001 for a one way Lagos-Abuja trip while its business class ticket was sold for N80,000.
Arik Air’s economy plan was the lowest with N29,189 for economy and N78,532 for business class flights, for a one-way Lagos to Abuja trip.
However, one of the airline official, who preferred anonymity, told TBI Africa that the ticket costs were driven by extra costs factored into the base fare.
The source said that taxes and other fares increased by the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), was also responsible for the hike in fares.
Mr Adebanji Ola, PR & Communications Manager of Arik Air , commended all government agencies for putting adequate measures in place for airlines to commence operations.
Ola said that Arik Air, had commenced three daily flights operations from Lagos to Abuja, in the first phase of the aviation restart.
According to him, it was a new beginning in the aviation sector and prayed that the COVID-19 pandemic would be fully addressed in Nigeria.
“For us in Arik Air, protection of passengers and cabin crew remains paramount to us and we have put effective measures in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“We commend government at all levels in ensuring effective synergy and support for the aviation sector towards combating the pandemic,” he said.
Some of the passengers who spoke to NAN, commended the measures put in place by the government at the airport to prevent the infection of COVID-19.
Mr Kola Balogun, Chairman, Momas Electricity Meters Manufacturing Company Limited, who flew Arik Air, commended the managment of FAAN, on preventive measures put in place at the aiport.
“I am highly impressed with the level of compliance and processes I am seeing here today.
“I commend FAAN for making lives more comfortable and sticking to the social distancing methodology.
“I urge the Federal Government to support the airlines’ operations through interventions for them to bounce back in business,” he said.
Mr Tayo Ojulari, an aviation stakeholder, said that he did not subscribe to leaving the centre seats in the aircraft as directed by government.
“The cost of operations and FOREX is affecting airlines, reducing passengers capacity to 50 per cent is another economy implications for the airlines,” he said.
The Director of Aviation Security of the Federal Airports Authority of a Nigeria (FAAN), Group Captain Usman Sadiq (Rtd), said that adequte security measures had being put in place at the airport.
Sadiq said that government had also increased the security manpower at the aiport for effective measures.
“There is effective synergy and cooperation between the various security agencies across all airports in the country to tackle the numerous security breach incidents.
“All security agencies are on ground to ensure law and order at the airport, and today we can see that Nigerians are well behaved from what was demonstrated,” he said.
He also expressed gratitude to the management team of FAAN for their support in carrying out their responsibilities.
“I am excited to add that the highest level of the authority’s management, an enviable leadership, commitment and support, has been displayed again and again in an unequivocal manner.
“For this, we are grateful and are rededicated to achieving the core mission of developing and profitably managing customer-centric airport facilities for safe, secured and efficient carriage of passengers and goods at world- class standards of quality,” Sadiq said.
The security personnel at the MM2 terminal, refused our Correspondent into the terminal as they claimed that the management instructed not to allow journalists in.
