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General News of Sunday, 17 May 2020

Source: Punch

BREAKING: FG impounds British aircraft for operating commercial flights

The Federal Government has impounded an aircraft owned by a British company for illegally operating passenger flights into Nigeria.

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, disclosed this known on Sunday via his Twitter handle, @hadisirika.

He said the company, Flair Aviation, was authorised to conduct humanitarian flights but was caught operating commercial flights.

Sirika explained that in addition to the confiscated aircraft, a fine would be imposed on the company for the contravention of FG’s ban on commercial flights as part of measures to curb the importation of coronavirus.

“COVID-19. Flair Aviation, a UK company, was given approval for humanitarian operations but regrettably, we caught them conducting commercial flights. This is callous! The craft is impounded, the crew being interrogated. There shall be maximum penalty. Wrong time to try our resolve,” the minister tweeted.

The PUNCH reports that the country’s airports and airspace were shut in March by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), as part of measures to curb the spread of coronavirus.