The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has placed a 72-hour suspension on outbound Emirates flights from Nigeria.

In a circular dated February 4 and signed by its Director-General, Capt. Musa Nuhu, NCAA said Emirates Airlines violated guidelines put in place by the presidential taskforce on COVID-19.

According to the circular, the airline has been airlifting passengers from Nigeria using rapid antigen tests conducted by laboratories not approved by regulatory authorities.

The NCAA said a February 2, 2021, letter sent to the airline had clearly stated that: “Based on the foregoing and to enable the Nigerian government to put in place the needed infrastructure and logistics for COVID-19 RDT testing for departing passengers, the PTF has directed that Emirates Airlines should either accept passengers without RDT pending when the infrastructure and logistics are put in place or suspend its flights to and from Nigeria until such a time when the required infrastructure and logistics are fully established and implemented.

“Emirates Airlines has not been in compliance with the two options given by the PTF as records obtained from Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) indicates that Emirates Airlines operated the flights from both Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.”

“Emirates should suspend its operations to Nigeria (Lagos and Abuja) effective 72 hours from midnight on Thursday, February 4, 2021,” the circular added.

NCAA said additional sanctions would be imposed on Emirates Airlines for the violations of COVID-19 protocols and the airline will be informed as to when to resume operations.

Recall that the state-owned airline had announced an additional COVID-19 test requirement for passengers and also banned transit flights operated by other airlines with Nigerians on them.