HADI Sirika, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation has disclosed that international air travelers taking off from the country’s airport terminals must arrive five hours before hour of departure in order to observe COVID-19 measures.

The minister made the submission at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, while sharing guidelines to be observed as airports  are getting ready to reopen, having been closed since March, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sirika further disclosed that equipment are being put in place to help passengers experience a smooth transition into the new normal, adding that for local flight travelers, it is advisable to arrive the airport three hours before departure time.

“We will announce all the protocols again before opening. But you need to be at the airport three hours ahead of your flight,” the Minister said.

“The experience is quite nice but it takes a bit of time which is why you will need to be at the airport three hours before your local flight. For an international flight, we may do five hours.”

Reiterating the preparedness of the airports to accommodate crowd, the minister disclosed that toilets at the airports have also been made COVID-19 compliant, stressing that everything has been done to minimise physical contact.

He also assured that new certifications were being given to pilots, engineers, traffic controllers and catering staff at the airports to offer guaranteed services.

On concerns of profitability of the aviation industry, Sirika assured that the new guidelines would be implemented in a way that flights would still be profitable.