As international flights operations resumed after a 13-month break, activities at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, MAKIA, gradually picked up. At approximately 3 pm, an Ethiopian flight carrying 11 passengers landed and departed the airport, along with 80 other Ethiopians.
Gambo Abubakar Aboki, Regional General Manager of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in MAKIA, said the operation is a trial run to assess the level of preparedness for full operations at the airport’s International Wing. According to Aboki, with the level of logistics in place and Covid-19 protocols in place, full international flight operations could resume in a few days, as directed by the Presidential TaskForce on Covid-19 (PTF).
He also noted that the test would assist them in preparing for potential difficulties in order to resolve any unexpected situations, while all international activities will be relocated to the airport’s New Terminal, with all hands on deck to ensure smooth operations. Similarly, Bello Abdulrahaman, the State Coordinator for Port Health Services, said that they are completely prepared and that all screening equipment has been set up. He clarified that all passengers were thoroughly screened and that no Covid-19 cases had been recorded, and that they had all arrived with their Covid-19 test results in hand to determine their health status. Abdulrahaman also stated that all passengers had completed their Passengers’ Self-Reporting Form online prior to arrival, which is required, and that his men are on the ground ensuring that every traveller entering the country via the Kano airport is Covid-19 free. Because of the CoronaVirus Pandemic, the airport’s international wing has been closed since March of last year.
Data source: Vanguard news