Overview Of Recent Operational Guidelines On Flight Operations During And Post Covid-19 Restrictions

On May 6, 2020, the Federal Government of Nigeria (“FGN”) extended the closure of Nigeria's airspace and ban on all commercial flight operations¹ for an additional four (4) week period (“Closure Period”). This is yet another intervention by the FGN, among a series of other measures implemented in the Nigerian aviation industry since the arrival of the index case of COVID-19 through an international flight into Nigeria.² Despite the severe financial strain the FGN's actions have had on airline operators in Nigeria³, there appears to be a general acknowledgment that the said measures are necessary in order to prevent (or at least mitigate) further spread of the virus. In any case, many local airlines had experienced significant reduction in passenger traffic since the outbreak of the pandemic, forcing several airlines to gradually suspend flight operations, even before the government mandated the closure of Nigeria's airspace.