An Air France aircraft on Thursday landed at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammad Airport in Lagos and airlifted 260 French citizens to Paris as part of measures by the French government to protect its nationals around the world against the spread of the deadly Coronavirus.
The Federal Government had granted the airline permission to operate essential flights to evacuate different nationals out of the country to Paris, airport authorities told our correspondent.
The plane arrived Lagos via Cotonou in neighbouring Benin Republic at 2.05pm, ensuring pre-boarding formalities were completed, the Europeans boarded the aircraft and taxied for takeoff at about 3.44pm Nigerian time.
The General Manager of the airline had in a letter sought permission for the airline to land in Lagos to evacuate both Dutch and French citizens in Nigeria after the closure of the country’s airspace to international flights but with a proviso.
Responding to the request, the Nigeria Government through the Ministry of Aviation granted the permission for the Air France/KLM flight to operate on the platform of essential flights.
The Ministry of Aviation in a letter signed by the Director, Air Transport Management, M.S Naibi on behalf of the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika mandated the airline to operate strictly based on the protocol guiding the specific evacuation exercise under the COVID-19 as issued by the Nigerian Aeronautical Authorities.
The request by the airline indicated that it will commence the evacuation of the European countries citizens from 26th March, 2nd April and 9th April, 2020.
Confirming the development, Regional Manager, South West of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria FAAN, Mrs. Victoria Shin Abba said “We have one or two flights that will be coming in to pick their nationals, KLM is coming in today, there are three flights not only today, we have the approval, their crew are not even coming down, the crew will not come out at all.”
