NAMA shuts airspace on all international flights

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency on Saturday formally notified all international airlines operating in the country that its airspace would be shut effective 0000hrs Tuesday, March 24.

This was contained in a ‘Notice to Airmen’ signed by Adamu B. H. of the Aeronautical Information Services Department.

The regulatory body, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority had earlier issued a directive that the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; and the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja would be closed effective Monday, March 23.

The PUNCH reports that the closure is not unconnected to actionable measures to curtail probable importation of the novel coronavirus pandemic which has infected over 200,000 persons globally, killing over 12,000, according to an AFP tally.

Nigeria’s cases of the virus increased from 12 to 22 on Saturday with almost all the cases having their travel history linked to high-risk zones of the virus in Europe, Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East.