Nigeria has suspended the Gambian national airline from flying into
the country, alleging "unsatisfactory" measures by the airline to
contain the spread of Ebola virus, officials said on Sunday.
The "NCAA (Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority) has reviewed the
measures put in place by your airline as contained in your letter of
30th July, 2014 and have found these measures unsatisfactory," NCAA
said in a letter to Gambia Bird Airlines.
"Consequently, your flights into Nigeria have been temporarily
suspended with immediate effect until such a time that you are able to
put in place acceptable and satisfactory measures," said the letter, a
copy of which was sent to AFP.
The contents of the airline's letter to the NCAA were not disclosed.
NCAA is the government agency that serves as watchdog for all airlines
operating in the country.
The Gambian national carrier flies to Lagos twice weekly. It also
flies to other African countries in the region: Cameroon, Ghana,
Liberia, Sierra Leone, Gambia and Senegal.
NCAA said that part of its efforts to curb the spread of the virus was
to to direct all airlines operating into Nigeria from Guinea,
Freetown and Monrovia "to put in place adequate measures to ensure
that passengers with this disease are not boarded and brought into the
country."
"Such measures may include suspension of flights into these
countries," NCAA added.
An American Liberian who arrived Lagos from Monrovia, capital of
Liberia, via Lome (Togo), eventually died of Ebola virus in a Lagos
hospital last July 25.
A Nigerian nurse who had contact with the Liberian also died last week
while seven others have been confirmed to have the virus in Lagos.
Nigeria along with Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia are the hardest
hit countries by the epidemic, which the WHO has called the worst in
four decades. Nearly 1,000 people have died of the virus in these four
countries, WHO said.
Nigeria's president on Friday declared a national emergency over the
deadly Ebola virus.
AFP
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