FG Lifts Ban On Helicopter Flights To Abuja

Speaking to State House correpondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said the directive came from the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA.

The minister further stated that the government is working on getting direct flights between Kaduna and London, the United Kingdom.

Minister @hadisirika: National Security Adviser (NSA) has lifted suspension on helicopter flights to Abuja Airport #ABVClosure

— We ASOcial (@DigiCommsNG) March15, 2017

Minister @hadisirika: We are working on getting direct flights between Kaduna and London. We will provide updates on this. #ABVClosure

—We ASOcial (@DigiCommsNG) March 15, 2017

Recall that the National Security Adviser Babagana Monguno had some days back directed aviation authorities to restrict helicopter flights from the Kaduna Airport to Abuja metropolis, citing security reasons.

The directive which came on the heels of the closure of Abuja Airport requires that all passengers from Kaduna do so by road, and only helicopters with the right security clearance from the presidency will be allowed to fly within Abuja airspace.

Recall that Abuja’s airport has been shut for six weeks, beginning from last week Wednesday, the 8th of March. This is to allow for the construction of a new run giving the obsolete state of the existing one.

Following the closure, all flights to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport have are now to land at the Kaduna airport