The Federal Government has suspended all pre-arrival and post-arrival COVID test for air travellers in Nigeria.
The development was annonced in a letter by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), dated December 12, 2022, and addressed to airline operators.
The letter signed by Captain Musa S, Nuhu, Director General of Civil Aviation, also make the wearing of face masks optional for passengers on board aircraft.
The statement read: “The prevalence of COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria and most parts of the world has remained at a low level for a Sustained period.
“The Presidential Steering Committee on CoVID-19 (PSC) has therefore revised the COVID-19/Public Health guidelines as follows:
(A) Domestic Operations:
1. Mask Mandate:
a. The wearing of facemask inside Alrport teminal buildings and onboard aircraft by airport workers, passengers, and crew members is no longer mandatory. Wearing of facemask by passengers onboard aircraft or inside Airport terminal buldings is discretionary but recommended.
b. Persons aged 60 years and above, immunocompromised (e.g. due to organ transplant, cancer, etc), those with co-morbidities (e.g. Heart disease, Diabetes Melitus, Hypertension, etc), are advised to use facemasks, wash their hands with water and soap, Use hand alcohol-based sanitizers, and avoid large
gatherings.
2. Disinfection of bags at the entrance of terminal buildings is no longer required.
3. Airlines are therefore required to resume serving catering (meals and drinks) on board aircraft.
4. Maintalning social distancing at airport terminal buildings is no longer mandatory.
5. Facilities and conveyances are advised to maintain good environmental hyglene, go00d ventlation, and encourage good hand and respiratory hygiene.
6. The use of alcohol-based sanitizer by passengers and airport workers is recommended.
7. Boarding and disembarkation protocols are to be maintained.
(B) International Operations:
1. All requirements in ‘A’ above shall apply.
2. COVID-19 Travel Testing: Pre-departure and Post-arrival COVID-19 PCR tests are no longer required for all
passengers irespective of vaccination status. PCR tests required for all passengers who are partialy/not fuly
vaccinated have been suspended.
3. Health Declaration form. Permission to travel QR code is no longer required. A simplified Health NCAA Questionnaire form (non-GOVID-19 specific) shall be completed by all passengers travelling to Nigeria preferably pre-departure on the Nigerian International Travel Portal (NITP). Passengers who fail to fill the
health questionnaire on the NITP pre-departure will be required to fill the health questionnaire either onboard the aircraft prior to landing or at the Airport terminal building upon arrival.
4. All other CoviD-19 quarantine/travel requirements are hereby made optional.
This AOL supersedes previous AOLs issued on COVID-19 for domestic and international operations.
All Aviation Service Providers are hereby required to comply with the above requirements.
Non-compliance by any Aviation Service provider with this AOL shall atract appropriate sanctions.
This AOL shall be effective immediately.
