He said that the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency only issued a routine 90-day Notices to Airmen (NOTAM) in preparation for the opening of the international airspace.

Sirika, however, reassured the public that the agreed date for the resumption of international flights will be announced in liaison with Health experts, Foreign Affairs and the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19, regardless of the ban by Europe, UAE, etc, which he said maybe earlier than October.

Domestic flights had resumed in the country on July 8 after the Federal Government had in March shut down international airports in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19 but allowed only diplomatic and essential flight operations.

The Minister of Aviation had announced that Abuja and Lagos airports would resume domestic operations on July 8 while Kano, Port Harcourt, Owerri, and Maiduguri would commence operations on July 11.

Speaking earlier last week at the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 press briefing, Sirika said the Federal Government would not rush the restart of international flights in and out of Nigeria.

According to him, the PTF and relevant agencies in the aviation industry are still brainstorming on the best time to allow for the resumption of international flights, adding that when the situation is right, international flights would resume without delay.