The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has directed foreign airlines operating in and out of Nigeria not to deny Nigerians boarding over inability to show evidence of payment for the Day-7 COVID-19 PCR test.
Daily Trust reports that the directive followed the difficulty of generating the PCR code after payment of the statutory fee.
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It was learnt that the situation had led to many travellers from Nigeria and into Nigeria being denied boarding by airlines.
The Director-General of the NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu, in a letter to all airlines operating in and out of the country, said the decision was taken in view of the challenges some travellers to Nigeria were experiencing while trying to fill their Health and Travel history into Nigeria’s International Travel Portal (NITP).
The NCAA letter was dated September 11, 2021, with the heading, “Permission for airlines to board passengers travelling to Nigeria who are unable to show evidence of payment for day seven COVID-19 PCR test or generate paid QR code/permit to fly”.
The DG explained that the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 had been notified of the challenges being faced by the travellers.
The letter, therefore, mandated airlines to board any traveller to Nigeria who is unable to either pay for the repeat day-7 COVID-19 PCR test or generate the paid QR code/permit to fly.
According to the NCAA DG, passengers experiencing the challenges would now be required to make payment for the repeat day-7 COVID-19 PCR test at their destination airport in Nigeria.
“Airlines are to bring this information to the knowledge of their passengers and ensure strict compliance with the above-stated condition,” the DG explained.
