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FG impounds British aircraft operating illegal flight into Nigeria
BY NICHOLAS ABE
The federal government says it has impounded a British aircraft operating illegal commercial flight into Nigeria.
Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who made the disclosure on his Twitter handle did not say the particular Nigerian airport the aircraft was impounded and aviation authorities we reached out to appear to be in the dark as to which airport was involved.
Flair Aviation, a UK company, according to the minister, had been given approval by the government to conduct a humanitarian operation, as the nation’s air space and airports had been shut to commercial flights as part of the measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
Sirika described the airline’s action as callous and promising that government was going to impose maximum penalty on the airline.
READ: Nigerian airspace remains shutdown for another 4 weeks
Said Sirika on his Twitter handle Sunday: “Flair Aviation, a UK company, was given approval for humanitarian operations but regrettably we caught them conducting commercial flights. This is callous! The craft is impounded, crew being interrogated. There shall be maximum penalty. Wrong time to try our resolve!”
The Nigerian air space was first shut to all international flights on March 23, 2020 for one month. It was thereafter extended for two weeks and subsequently for another four weeks.