Nigeria lifts short-lived Emirates flight suspension

Nigeria has lifted its suspension of Emirates airlines flights imposed after the carrier sought additional COVID-19 tests for passengers from Nigeria, a spokesman for the country’s aviation regulator said Friday. “The suspension has just been lifted, because they have complied with what we want,” said the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) spokesman. An Emirates spokesperson said the company “can confirm that we will continue to operate services to Abuja and Lagos.” An aviation ministry spokesman on Monday told a news conference that the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in addition to requiring a PCR test before flying from Nigeria, was adding an extra requirement of having a rapid test four hours before departure. He said airlines that insisted on the additional test would be suspended until an appropriate structure was put in place to conduct the second test within four hours of departure.<br/>