Domestic flight operations are to resume in Lagos and Abuja on July 8, the Federal Government announced on Wednesday.
Dates for the reopening of other airports were also announced.
Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika listed the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos as the airports where operations will resume on July 8.
He said the airports in Port Harcourt (Rivers State), Owerri (Imo State) and Maiduguri (Borno) will reopen for operations on July 11.
Other airports will join on July 15, Sirika explained.
International passengers will, however, have to wait as the dates for the restart of international flights into and out of the country have not been decided.
The airports have been closed for over three months due to the outbreak of Coronavirus in the country.
Sirika made this known last night in a tweet via his Twitter handle, @hadisirika.
The tweet reads: “I am glad to announce that Abuja & Lagos airports will resume domestic operations on the 8th of July, 2020.
“Kano, Port Harcourt, Owerri & Maiduguri to resume on the 11th. Other airports on the 15th. Date for international to be announced in due course. Bear with us, please.”
In a statement in Abuja by the Director of Public Affairs of the ministry, James Odaudu, the minister urged passengers to follow safety protocols.
The statement reads: “Senator Sirika thanks stakeholders in the aviation industry and indeed the Nigerian public who have had to cope with the adverse effects of the flight suspension for their perseverance and cooperation in ensuring a successful return of operations at the nation’s airports.
“Passengers are highly advised to follow all the safety guidelines and protocols put in place to ensure that the airports don’t become channels of infection for the dreaded coronavirus.
“He assures that government will do all within its powers to ensure a rapid recovery of the aviation industry.”
Ahead of the flights resumption, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) conducted dry-run test in Abuja and Lagos airports.

Domestic flights to resume July 8 at Lagos, Abuja airports
by The Cable
Hadi Sirika, the minister for aviation, has announced that domestic flights would resume on July 8, 2020.
In a tweet on Wednesday, Sirika said operations would resume at the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikwe Airport in Abuja on July 8 with other airports to follow.
“I am glad to announce that Abuja & Lagos airports will resume domestic operations on the 8th of July, 2020. Kano, Port Harcourt, Owerri & Maiduguri to resume on the 11th. Other airports on the 15th. The date for international to be announced in due course. Bear with us,” he wrote.
Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation, announced at the daily briefing of the presidential task force on COVID-19 that held on Monday that the federal government had approved that domestic flights resume in the country on a safe date.
Flights had been suspended in the country as part of movement restrictions put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The PTF had initially set June 21 as a tentative date for flight resumption and had mandated aviation agencies and operators to work on resumption protocols in line with COVID-19 safety guidelines.
On June 18, Musa Nuhu, director-general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), announced that the June 21 date was no longer feasible as checks still had to be carried out on the adjustments made by stakeholders.
In preparation for flight resumption, the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) published guidelines for passengers including one that states that passengers have to be at the airport three hours before take-off.

By Faith Yahaya