The chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Mr. Nnolim Nnaji has called on the federal government to ensure at least one airport is reopened in each of the six geopolitical zones of the country for resumption of flights.
Nnaji said in a statement on Sunday that the Nigerian economy needs to be immediately unlocked starting with a guided and gradual opening of the air transport sector.
He said such action would not only refloat the economy but also to curtail the post economic impacts of the coronavirus.
The lawmaker said opening one airport in each geo-political zone for partial flight services will give all the zones a sense of belonging and ensure equity and fairness.
Nnaji noted that air transport remains the stimulating agent to the economy and therefore could not continue to remain in a comatose state any more.
He charged the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA) to come up with a well designed procedure and standard operating procedure, in line with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) established guidelines on safety.
Nnaji also called for the installation of appropriate Covid-19 disinfecting, testing and sanitising equipment in each airport in the country to enable the government fight the spread of the virus and restore passenger confidence.
