NCAA Levies Foreign Airlines N1.4m Penalty Per PCR Violation

Worried by the number of Omicron variant cases attributed to Nigerians overseas, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has levied a $3,500 (N1.43 million) penalty on foreign carriers for each passenger that violates any of the guidelines.

The apex regulator, in a letter to operators, also warned that repeated violations might be liable to a ban.

The government had earlier readjusted the travel protocol, with an additional Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test imposed on inbound travellers as part of measures to contain the new Omicron variant.

The Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 directed that passengers arriving in Nigeria are now required to conduct a PCR test 48 hours before embarking on their trips, take another test on day two after arrival and another on day seven. They are also expected to self-isolate for seven days.

Director-General of the NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu, stated that the sanction was to ensure strict compliance with the revised COVID-19 provisional quarantine protocols for inbound and outbound travellers.

“For inbound passengers, airlines are only to board passengers travelling to Nigeria, who are in possession of a paid permit to travel with a QR Code and a result of a negative COVID-19 PCR test done not later than 48 hours from time of boarding,” Nuhu stated.

He added that any inbound passenger, who is unable to either make payment for his/her repeat PCR test(s) or generate a paid permit to travel via the Nigeria International Travel Portal (NITP), airlines are to send an email to appropriate authorities for necessary assistance.

“For outbound passengers, airlines are to only board passengers travelling out of Nigeria with evidence of either full vaccination for COVID-19 or result of negative COVID-19 PCR test done at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) accredited private laboratories not later than 48hours from time of boarding.

“Non-compliance to these pre-boarding requirements by any airline will attract a penalty of $3,500 per passenger. Airlines who consistently fail to comply with these requirements may be banned from coming to Nigeria,” the memo read in part.

The British government recently banned Nigerian citizens from entering the United Kingdom. UK’s Secretary of State for Health, Sajid Javid, announced that Nigeria was added to the red list as part of measures to stem importation of the Omicron variant into the country.

As at Sunday, the UK announced that a total of 21 Nigerian outbound passengers had tested positive for the Omicron variant. Read more

Win the Opportunity of a Lifetime with Qatar Airways and Hamad International Airport’s “Fly and Win” Campaign

The World’s Best Airline has teamed up with the World’s Best Airport in an unprecedented move to make one lucky passenger a millionaire, with stunning prizes for other winners.

DOHA, Qatar – The new ‘Fly and Win’ campaign from Qatar Airways and Hamad International Airport, will offer passengers flying with the award-winning airline the opportunity to become a USD millionaire, experience the trip of a lifetime to the Maldives on a Qatar Executive private jet or sit behind the wheel of brand-new Porsche car.

To enter the raffle, passengers simply need to have enrolled into Privilege Club, the Qatar Airways Loyalty programme, and flying anywhere on the airline’s expanding network through Hamad International Airport, recently ranked as the World Best Airport by Skytrax.

For every ticket purchased and used between 1st November 2021 and 31st January 2022 on qatarairways.com or through a travel agency, passengers will have the chance to win one of the following prizes (Terms & conditions apply):

· USD 1 million

· Private jet experience with Qatar Executive to the Maldives with accommodation

· A new Porsche car

With these incredible prizes, there are even more reasons to fly with Qatar Airways. In addition to being voted the World’s Best Airline and the World’s Best Airport, both the airline and the airport have received Skytrax Five Star COVID Safety Ratings in recognition of their biosafety efforts to protect passengers and staff during the pandemic.

Enter now at qatarairways.com/win One winner for each prize will be drawn and announced in Feb 2022.

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was announced as the ‘Airline of the Year’ by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax, in addition to securing five additional awards including World’s Best Business Class, World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge, World’s Best Business Class Airline Seat, World’s Best Business Class Onboard Catering and Best Airline in the Middle East. The airline continues to stand alone at the top of the industry having now won the main prize for an unprecedented sixth time (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019 and now 2021). The airline’s hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA), was also recently recognised as the ‘Best Airport in the World 2021’, ranking at number one in the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2021.

In addition to this, Qatar Airways is the first global airline in the world to achieve the prestigious 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating by Skytrax. This follows the success of Hamad International Airport (HIA) as the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a Skytrax 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating. These awards provide assurance to passengers around the world that the airline’s health and safety standards are subject to the highest possible standards of professional, independent scrutiny and assessment. For full details of all the measures that have been implemented on board and at HIA, please visit qatarairways.com/safety.

Omicron: NCAA Lists New Boarding Rules, Airlines Risk Ban

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority says international airlines will be made to pay $3500 fine on each passenger flown into the country not complying with the Federal Government’s Revised COVID-19 Provisional Quarantine protocol.

The NCAA said non-compliance with the COVID-19 protocol requirements could also lead to an outright ban of the non-compliant airline.

In an All-Operators Letter with reference NCAA/DG/AIR/16/327 issued to all accountable managers and signed by the Director-General NCAA, Captain Musa Nuhu, international airlines were reminded that the protocols for international flight operations and quarantine protocols for travellers arriving Nigeria issued on July 1, 2021 still hold sway.

The NCAA said, “Inbound passengers: Airlines are only to board passengers travelling to Nigeria who are in possession of a paid permit to travel with a QR Code and a result of a negative COVID-19 test done not later than 48 hours from time of boarding.

“For any inbound passenger who is unable to either make payment for his/her repeat PCR test(s) or generate a paid permit to travel via the Nigeria International Travel Portal, airlines are to send an email to directorporthealthfmoh@gmail.com and copy travelportal@ncdc.gov.ng; ictservicedesk@ncdc.gov.ng; ilfred.haggai@ncaa.gov.gn for necessary assistance.”

According to the agency, outbound passengers are to only board with evidence of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result.

The AOL read in part, “Airlines are only to board passengers out of Nigeria with evidence of either full vaccination for COVID-19 or a negative COVID-19 test done at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control accredited laboratories not later than 48hours from time of boarding.

FAA Sets 5G Flight Restrictions to Avoid Possible Hazards From New Wireless Service

The agency’s order may disrupt air travel in bad weather along the limits of the required cockpit system; The new 5G services are expected to go live from January 5.

The FAA and aviation industry groups have said the new 5G service could interfere with radar or radio altimeters, gauges that measure the distance between aircraft and the ground. Information from those instruments feeds many cockpit safety systems that are used to land planes, avoid accidents, and prevent collisions in mid-air.

Airports experiencing potential disruptions will be identified in future notices, according to an FAA order, known as an airworthiness directive. Regulators and technocrats are working to resolve a long-running dispute between the aviation and telecommunications industries to address concerns about potential safety risks.

“The FAA plans to use data provided by telecommunications providers to determine which airports within the United States will be or will have C-band base stations or other devices,” the agency’s order said. which could potentially affect airplane systems.”

Current and former government officials have said data related to the power level and location of 5G signals is expected to help air-safety regulators limit disruptions. Aviation industry groups have warned of a potential “debilitating impact” from such flight restrictions, saying in a November 18 letter to the FCC: “Air cargo and commercial air travel will be closed at night and in any weather where pilots do not runway. can see.”

The FAA said it is coordinating with the Federal Communications Commission and wireless companies and has made progress “towards safely implementing 5G expansion.”

The FCC said it looks forward to further guidance from the FAA that takes into account recently proposed solutions from telecommunications companies.

AT&T Inc.

and Verizon Communications Inc.

The first agreed to a one-month delay in activation of fifth-generation wireless service, which provides faster broadband speeds for a range of mobile devices. The service was previously scheduled to go live on December 5, but the companies agreed to discontinue due to aviation safety concerns from the FAA.

In November, telcos offered to limit the power of some 5G base stations as an added security. On Monday, a representative for the Aerospace Industries Association told the FCC in a letter that the carrier’s proposed ranges were “inadequate and too narrow” to address flight safety concerns.

The US telecommunications industry has maintained that the new 5G service does not pose a security threat to aircraft, pointing to the experience of other countries with similar wireless services. A Verizon spokesperson said the company is on track to reach 100 million Americans with the new service in the first quarter of 2022 and was confident that further analysis by the FAA would show the C-band service “no risk to air safety.” ”

An AT&T spokesperson said the carrier “recognizes the paramount importance of air security, and our use of C-band spectrum will not reduce that imperative.” Read more

Sources: The Punch Online, Business HALA, Guardian Nigeria