Senate mulls suspension of FG’s plan to re-open airports on June 21 

The Senate Committee on Aviation on Thursday said the June 21 proposed by the federal government for re-opening of airports for domestic flights cannot be realistic and should be suspended immediately.

Senator Smart Adeyemi, Chairman of the Senate committee stated this during a meeting with executives and members of the air transport staff unions.

National President of Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Ilitrus Ahmadu while briefing the committee had said the air transport staffers are set to embark on strike due to non-payment of staff and the inability of airliners to meet health and security protocol.

He said the airports cannot be re-opened except the concerned issues are resolved.

Consequently, the stakeholders are asking the federal government to quickly render monetary intervention to airliners to ameliorate the COVID-19 hardship and settle the salaries of workers.

Ahmadu said “some of our colleagues have not been paid for months, since the coronavirus outbreak, some employers have slashed salaries of their workers and while others have paid a quarter and it will be suicider to unlock the aviation sector.

“The health and security protocols are not met and for government to re-open airports without solving these issues would be dangerous and we resist it,” Ahmadu stated.

However, in his remarks, Senator Adeyemi said,” Gentlemen, we met the air transport staff unions and you heard them raised a lot of issues.

“You cannot open airports till these issues are resolved and I am afraid this cannot be done within three days.

“We are concerned because aviation is key to the socio-economic development of our country,” Adeyemi stated.

It will be recalled that the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has announced that airports would be unlocked on June 21 for domestic flights.