Travel News

OTTAWA — Halfway through their 14-day quarantine period, Diala Charab and Yehya Al-Ayoubi are excited to start working as health-care aides after arriving Sunday from Lebanon.

Despite COVID-19 travel restrictions that prevent most people from coming to Canada, the two nurses were exempted, resettled under a pilot project to bring skilled refugees to the country.

"Diala got her visa during the (COVID-19) lockdown … I got the visa after the Beirut explosion." Al-Ayoubi said.

"Things were hectic, but we just wanted to come here and be beneficial, productive people in this society."

Charab, 25, and Al-Ayoubi, 29, will join the staff of VHA Home HealthCare in Toronto as personal support workers.

Ernesto Sequera, VHA's human-resources manager, said in a statement that the company is happy to bring health care workers to Canada to address the urgent need for more trained home-care professionals during the pandemic.

Charab and Al-Ayoubi didn’t know each other when they applied separately to immigrate to Canada last year, but they landed here as a couple.

"It’s like fate," Al-Ayoubi said. "The day that we got engaged, (they) called us for a job opportunity."

The two newcomers worked as nurses in Lebanon during the first wave of COVID-19.

"I don’t have any concerns about it," Charab said. "You just have to take your precautions and stay safe."

But the travel restrictions the government put in place to fight the spread of COVID-19 have limited the numbers of newcomers to Canada.

"The current pandemic presents new challenges," said Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino in a statement Friday.

Mendicino said Canada is working with the United Nations Refugee Agency and the International Organization for Migration as the two organizations slowly resume operations. Canada wants to resettle refugees where conditions allow, making sure they have the support they need.

The two Palestinian refugees were able to come to Canada as skilled workers thanks to the help of Talent Beyond Boundaries, a non-profit organization supporting displaced people to secure jobs and immigrate to safe countries.

"Traditionally, the way that refugees have been able to move to a safe country, like Canada, has been through humanitarian resettlement," said Dana Wagner, the organization’s director in Canada. "But, unfortunately, resettlement is a very limited option."

The United Nations estimated there were 26 million refugees around the world at the end of last year. Out of 1.4 million refugees in urgent need of resettlement in 2019, only 63,696 were resettled through the UN Refugee Agency.

The largest number of resettlements last year were in the United States, followed by Canada, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Germany, according to the agency.

"The number of people out there is so immense, and we need new safe and legal mobility options for people," Wagner said.

Talent Beyond Boundaries works with countries — including Canada, the U.K. and Australia — to establish programs so refugees can apply for jobs in a safe countries. Once they're hired, they can immigrate through an economic immigration pathway, like any other skilled worker.

Canada launched a pilot project in 2018 to bring in 10 to 15 skilled refugees who meet the requirements of Canada’s economic immigration programs.

In June, the government extended the project for two more years to admit up to 500 applicants.

The extension makes Canada’s project the largest of its kind globally, Wagner said.

"Australia has a pilot project of 100 principal applicants, and U.K. government officials are exploring this work as well," she said. "Other countries are watching this right now."

Canada’s economic immigration system was not designed to include refugees, so there are many unintended barriers, she said.

"Almost all of our immigration pathways require that you have a current passport, and a lot of refugees have expired passports and no ability to renew it."

Current immigration systems exclude talented people who should be able to compete for jobs, Wagner said.

"These are highly talented people who have a lot to contribute, and who have a need for a secure place to grow their careers and their lives."

The organization found through a survey of candidates that people are less likely to consider an irregular migration option — crossing borders without permission — if they know that economic migration is a possibility.

The organization has helped only nine applicants come to Canada under the program so far.

"When you include family members, that's 22 people. So, 22 former refugees are now in Canada," Wagner said. "But we have a much larger pipeline of people who are in an immigration process right now."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2020.

———

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

In a post-COVID aviation first, Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific has announced a partnership with a local biotech firm, Prenetics, to introduce a digital health passport system which could significantly ease the way towards a safer form of air travel. 

The high-tech set-up would allow passengers to use a mobile app to present a negative COVID-19 result at check-in and again on arrival at their destination. Prenetics told the South China Morning Post that the pilot project will take-off on the London to Hong Kong route in October, potentially paving the way for quarantine-free travel between the two financial hubs – and at best providing a model which could be implemented globally.     

Hong Kong has been at the forefront of virus prevention and control since COVID-19 made its first murky appearance across the border in China in mid-January. To date, the city of 7.4 million people has suffered 4,997 cases and 103 deaths. Its travel industry, however, has been devastated, with 2019's most visited city recording a drop in air traffic of 91 percent and a 99.9 percent fall in visitor numbers since the border closed. 

As with the the majority of Asian countries, Hong Kong's borders have been shuttered to all but a few travellers since March, with any passengers making it through forced to spend weeks in quarantine at the end of their journeys. It's a move which has undoubtedly helped to control the spread of the virus across the continent, but with cases in Hong Kong sinking back into single digits over the last few weeks, a plan to restart international travel is finally in the works.   

Earlier this month, the Hong Kong government announced that it had approached 11 countries deemed to be low-risk, including Germany, Vietnam,  Thailand and Japan, with a view to forming travel bubbles. Although Hong Kong is currently on the UK's 'green list', Great Britain did not make the cut but yesterday's announcement from Cathay Pacific suggests that may change.    

The technology needed certainly appears to be there; the Hong Kong biotech start-up Prenetics was recently appointed by the Hong Kong government to carry out hundreds of thousands of tests as part of a free citywide testing programme, following a recent third wave of coronavirus outbreaks. 

The firm, which counts former England and Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand among its investors, is also responsible for restarting another beleaguered industry – live sports – with its COVID-19 testing programme for English Premier League footballers. Players and staff are currently tested by Prenetics twice a week. 

The Hong Kong company are also confident that they will be able to roll out a rapid 30-minute COVID-19 test before the end of the year, which would make it the fastest polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test in the world. At the moment, the most accurate coronavirus antigen tests can take anywhere between six hours to a few days to produce results. The new test would slash this to half an hour, has been approved by the World Health Organisation, and is 99.9 percent accurate both in identifying positive cases and those who test negative.    

Used in conjunction with a digital health app, air passengers on both sides of the corridor would be able to arrange a standardised COVID-19 test before departure. Later, the result would be uploaded to their phone and that online information would then act as a kind of digital health passport allowing access to their flight. A second test would then be performed on arrival, with another negative result granting the passenger permission to cross the border and presumably negate the need for quarantine. 

The UK and Hong Kong would still need to discuss what would happen to anyone who tested positive at the arrival stage. Currently, anyone testing positive on arrival in Hong Kong is sent to hospital until they produce two negative tests, while anyone who has been in close proximity to a positive case is sent to a government quarantine facility for 14 days. 

But while there are still some potential hurdles, the news from Hong Kong appears to offer an extremely promising path to restarting a safe, reliable and straightforward means of air travel in the near future.

BY  Joseph Olaoluwa

No fewer than 25 travel and tourism bodies as well as unions across Europe have asked the European Commission to replace quarantine restrictions with a European Union Testing protocol for travel, in a bid to save the livelihoods of more than 27 million Europeans who work in the sector.

In a letter addressed to the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, the various groups said a continued lack of co-ordination and diverging travel restrictions had crippled their businesses.

The letter was signed by representatives from across the tourism and travel sector and their workers, including airlines, airports, railways, ground handlers, caterers, travel retailers, air navigation service providers, tour operators, amongst others.

This was contained in a statement dated September 18th 2020, available on the site of Airlines for Europe and titled ‘Unprecedented industry appeal to European Commission President to end quarantines and develop common EU Testing Protocol.”

Managing Director, Airlines for Europe, Thomas Reynaert said, “With an estimated 55 per cent fewer flights, an overall revenue loss of some €140bn across the European aviation industry and a growing number of frustrated travelers, it’s about time that Europe shows some leadership in getting travel restrictions coordinated properly across the continent.

“This chaotic situation requires your immediate personal involvement. We are thus urging you to make this issue a top priority and calling on you to address this issue directly with Heads of State and Government.

“We are therefore also urging you to ensure that the commission takes the lead in the development of an EU Testing Protocol for travel and its implementation to avoid quarantines and re-open borders.”

This letter is coming as the latest data from airport body, Airports Council International Europe, showed a continued decline in passenger traffic at Europe’s airports during the first two weeks of September – now standing at a loss of -73 per cent; down from sluggish ‘peak recovery level’ of -65 per cent mid-August.

Just recently, the International Air Transport Association recommended that testing be adopted in place of widespread quarantine measures.

It feared that the impact of COVID-19 on air travel would cost Nigeria and other African economies 3.5 million aviation jobs, triggering a contraction of continental Gross Domestic Product by $35bn in 2020.

A new report by global leader in residence and citizenship planning, Henley & Partners, reveals that there is a massive surge of South Africans that have shown interest in emigrating in the last six months.

According to their data, there has been a noticeable increase in enquiries for emigration across the world.

“The massive volatility driven by Covid-19 has pushed the steady growth in investment migration into overdrive, with a nearly 50% increase in enquiries overall as the pandemic coursed around the globe in the six months to June 2020 compared to the same period last year,” they explain.

Indian nationals made the most enquiries within the last six months. Nigerian nationals came in second place, followed by Pakistan and the United States. In terms of quarterly growth in the numbers of enquiries between Q1 and Q2 2020, the sharpest rise was seen in Nigeria with an astonishing 185% increase in enquiries between the first two quarters. There has been a 48% increase from South African nationals.

“While the surge in interest shown by citizens of emerging economies such as India and Nigeria is somewhat predictable, a fascinating turn of events is the growing attention from nationals of leading developed nations. Most notable is America, with a dramatic 100% increase in enquiries from US citizens in the first six months of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, along with significantly greater interest shown by Canadians and UK citizens.”

Henley & Partners CEO Dr. Juerg Steffen explains this interest is brought on by the tumultuous year 2020 has been, forcing many to re-evaluate their circumstances and reconsider how they live their lives.

• Dr Steffen said: “Many are taking stock and ensuring they are better prepared for the next pandemic or major global disruption. The relentless volatility in terms of both wealth and lifestyle has resulted in a significant shift in how alternative residence and citizenship are perceived by high-net-worth investors around the world.

“As a tried-and-tested hedge against volatility, securing alternative residence or citizenship is one of the safest, smartest, most sustainable investments you can make right now — an indispensable asset for many generations to come.”

The countries most popular as emigration destinations include Austria, Montenegro, St. Lucia, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.

Commenting in the recently released Henley Passport Index Q3 Report, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Tel Aviv University in Israel, Prof. Dr. Yossi Harpaz, says the Covid-19 crisis has caused the world’s premium passports to lose some of their shine.

“For decades, visa policies were designed to keep out illegal immigrants, asylum seekers, and terrorists. Citizens of wealthy and democratic countries — including Canada, the US, and Western European nations — apparently posed no such risks and enjoyed extensive visa-free travel throughout the world. In the current crisis, a new category of risk has emerged: the spreader.

“Since the US and Western Europe were among the world’s hardest hit areas, their citizens faced stringent mobility restrictions. This is, of course, a temporary situation, but in the long run it is likely to erode the prestige of EU and Western passports,” predicts Prof. Harpaz.

BY  Khushi Mehrotra

• Air transport bubbles are temporary arrangements between two countries aimed at restarting commercial passenger services when regular international flights are suspended
• India currently has air transport bubbles with 13 countries, while more such agreements are on the pipeline

TopicsCivil Aviation MinistryInternational TravelTransport Bubble

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has released fresh guidelines and eligibility rules for those travelling to and from India to US, UK, Canada, other countries. India currently has air transport bubbles with 13 countries amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, while more such agreements are on the pipeline.

What are air transport bubbles?

“Transport Bubbles" or “Air Travel Arrangements" are temporary arrangements between two countries aimed at restarting commercial passenger services when regular international flights are suspended as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. They are reciprocal in nature, meaning airlines from both countries enjoy similar benefits.

The details of such arrangements are as follows:

1. Afghanistan

From India to Afghanistan

i. Afghanistan nationals/residents and foreign nationals holding valid Afghanistan visas, if required; and

ii. Any Indian national, holding any type of valid visa from Afghanistan and destined for Afghanistan only. “It would be for the airlines concerned to ensure that there is no travel restriction for Indian nationals to enter Afghanistan with the particular visa category before issue of ticket/ boarding pass to the Indian passenger," the ministry’s document said.

From Afghanistan to India

i. Indian nationals stranded in Afghanistan;

ii. All Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders holding Afghanistan passports

iii. Foreigners (including diplomats) holding valid visa issued by an Indian Mission in any category covered under Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) guidelines dated June 30 as amended from time to time, the document said.

2. Bahrain

From India to Bahrain

i. Bahraini nationals/residents

ii. Any Indian national holding any type of valid visa from the Kingdom of Bahrain and destined for Bahrain only. It would be for the airlines concerned to ensure that there is no travel restriction for Indian nationals to enter Bahrain with the particular visa category before issue of ticket/ boarding pass to the Indian passenger.

From Bahrain to India

i. Indian nationals stranded in Bahrain

ii. All Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders holding Bahraini passports; and

iii. Bahraini nationals (including diplomats) holding valid visa issued by an Indian Mission in any category covered under Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) guidelines.

3. Canada

From India to Canada

i. Stranded Canadian nationals/residents and foreigners with valid Canadian visa eligible to enter Canada;ii. Indian nationals with valid visas eligible to enter Canada. The airlines concerned will ensure that there is no travel restriction for Indian nationals.

iii. Seamen of foreign nationalities, seamen holding Indian passports would be allowed subject to clearance from the ministry of shipping

From Canada to India

i. Stranded Indian nationals

ii. All Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders holding Canadian passports; and

iii. Foreigners (including diplomats), who are eligible to enter India as per MHA guidelines

4. France

From India to France

i. Indian nationals who are permitted to travel abroad as per MHA guidelines dated 01.07.2020 and destined for EU;

ii. Stranded EU nationals/residents, foreign nationals destined for Europe and transiting through France or spouses of these persons, whether accompanying or otherwise; and

iii. Seamen of foreign nationalities; Seamen holding Indian passports would be allowed subject to clearance from the Ministry of Shipping.

From France to India

i. Stranded Indian nationals;

ii. Foreigners (including diplomats and OCI card holders), who are eligible to enter India as per Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) guidelines .

5. Germany

From India to Germany

i. Indian nationals who are permitted to travel abroad as per MHA guidelines dated 01.07.2020 and destined for EU;

ii. Stranded EU nationals/residents, foreign nationals destined for Europe and transiting through Germany or spouses of these persons, whether accompanying or otherwise; and

iii. Seamen of foreign nationalities; Seamen holding Indian passports would be allowed subject to clearance from the Ministry of Shipping.

From Germany to India

i. Stranded Indian nationals;

ii. Foreigners (including diplomats and OCI card holders), who are eligible to enter India as per Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) guidelines.

6. Iraq

From India to Iraq

i. Nationals/residents of Iraq;

ii. Any Indian national holding any type of valid visa from Iraq and destined for Iraq only.

From Iraq to India

i. Indian nationals stranded in Iraq;

ii. All Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders holding passports of Iraq; and

iii. Nationals of Iraq (including diplomats), holding valid visa issued by an Indian Mission in any category covered under (MHA) guidelines.

7. Japan

From India to Japan

i. Stranded nationals/residents of Japan and foreign nationals holding valid Japanese visas subject to the border measures and travel restrictions imposed by the government of Japan at the time of travel; and

ii. Any Indian national holding any type of valid visa from Japan subject to the border measures and travel restrictions imposed by the government of Japan at the time of travel.

From Japan to India

i. Stranded Indian nationals;

ii. All Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders holding passports of Japan; and

iii. Foreigners (including diplomats), holding valid visa issued by an Indian Mission in any category covered under MHA guidelines.

8. Maldives

From India to Maldives

i. Maldivian nationals/residents and foreign nationals holding valid Maldivian visas, if required;

ii. Any Indian national.

From Maldives to India

i. Indian nationals

ii. All Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders holding Maldivian passports, and

iii. Foreigners (including diplomats) holding valid visa issued by an Indian Mission in any category covered under MHA guidelines.

9.Nigeria

From India to Nigeria

i. Stranded Nigerian nationals/residents, foreign nationals destined for Africa and transiting through Nigeria or spouses of these persons, whether accompanying or otherwise;

ii. Any Indian national holding any type of valid Nigerian visa and destined for any country in Africa.

iii. Seamen of foreign nationalities; Seamen holding Indian passports would be allowed subject to clearance from the Ministry of Shipping.

From Nigeria to India

i. Indian nationals stranded in any country in Africa;

ii. All Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders holding Nigerian passports;

iii. Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders holding passports issued by any country in Africa who are eligible to enter India as per MHA guidelines.

iv. Foreigners (including diplomats) holding valid visa issued by an Indian Mission in any category covered under MHA guidelines

10. Qatar

From India to Qatar

i. Qatari nationals

ii. Any Indian national holding any type of valid Qatar visa and destined for Qatar only.

From Qatar to India

i. Indian nationals stranded in Qatar;

ii. All Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders holding Qatari passports, and

iii. Qatari nationals (including diplomats) holding valid visa issued by an Indian Mission in any category covered under MHA guidelines.

11.United Arab Emirates (UAE)

From India to UAE

i. UAE nationals.

ii. ICA-approved UAE residents destined for UAE only.

iii. Any Indian national holding any type of valid UAE visa and destined for UAE only.

From UAE to India

i. Stranded Indian nationals

ii. All Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders holding UAE passports; and

iii. UAE nationals (including diplomats) holding valid visa issued by an Indian Mission in any category covered under MHA guidelines

12.United Kingdom (UK)

From India to UK

i. Stranded UK nationals/residents, foreign nationals transiting through UK or spouses of these persons, whether accompanying or otherwise.

ii. Any Indian national holding any type of valid UK visa and destined for UK only.

iii. Seamen of foreign nationalities; Seamen holding Indian passports would be allowed subject to clearance from the Ministry of Shipping.

From UK to India

i. Stranded Indian nationals

ii. All Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders holding UK passports; and

iii. Foreigners (including diplomats), who are eligible to enter India.

13.United States of America (USA)

From India to USA

i. US citizens, legal permanent residents, and foreign nationals holding valid US visas;

ii. Any Indian national holding any type of valid US visa.

iii. Seamen of foreign nationalities; Seamen holding Indian passports would be allowed subject to clearance from the Ministry of Shipping

From USA to India

i. Stranded Indian nationals

ii. All Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders holding US passports; and

iii. Foreigners (including diplomats), who are eligible to enter India.

BY  Joseph Olaoluwa

 Emirates Airlines has said it is working closely with the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria to lift the ban imposed on the airline’s flight operations by the Federal Government.

According to a statement from the public relations firm for the carrier made available to our correspondent, the airline stated that it was committed to connecting its Abuja and Lagos customers to Dubai.

The statement read, “Emirates remains committed to serving its two Nigerian points, Abuja and Lagos, to connect our customers to and through Dubai to Emirates’ global network, and meet the growing demand for air travel in and out of the country.

“Emirates is working closely with the UAE and Nigerian authorities, and will communicate any updates to our customers. We look forward to continue serving our customers in Nigeria.”

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had on September 18 via his official twitter handle, announced the ban of Emirates flights to Nigeria effective on Monday (today).

The tweet read: “The PTF sub-committee met today with EU Ambassadors to discuss Lufthansa, Air France/KLM ban. The meeting progressed well.

“Emirates Airlines’ situation was reviewed and they are consequently included in the list of those not approved, with effect from Monday, September 21, 2020.”

The Federal Government had in August vowed to enforce the principle of reciprocity in granting permission to airlines to resume operations.

Prior to the resumption of international flights in the country, the Federal Government had initially included Emirates Airlines as one of the 14 airlines allowed to operate in the country.

By Caroline Copley

BERLIN (Reuters) - A worsening outlook for air travel prompted Lufthansa LHAG.DE to further cut its fleet and workforce on Monday as the coronavirus crisis forced it to take a 1.1 billion euro (£1.01 billion) impairment on the value of its aircraft.

The German airline, which secured a 9 billion euro state bailout in June, said the outlook for international air traffic had deteriorated in recent weeks and booking figures were declining as the summer travel period ended.

Lufthansa said it now expects capacity to be in the range of 20% to 30% in the fourth quarter, down from a previous forecast for 50%, as signs of a European recovery at the start of the summer evaporated due to travel restrictions and quarantines.

As a result, Lufthansa plans to reduce its fleet by 150, 50 more than previously planned, to around 610 aircraft, adding that this meant it would need to cut more jobs than the 22,000 full-time positions it had previously announced.

Shares in Lufthansa were down 9.6% by 1417 GMT, compared with a 4.1% DAX index decline.

Lufthansa, which had hoped to limit compulsory redundancies by cutting working hours and salaries, said it would talk with unions. The Verdi union criticised plans to cut staff, but said it remained open for further talks with Lufthansa.

“Job cuts alone will not save the company,” Verdi spokeswoman Mira Neumaier said.

Lufthansa still aims to reduce its monthly cash burn by around 100 million euros per month to around 400 million in the winter period 2020/2021.

It plans to cut 20% of management positions in the first quarter of next year and will reduce its administrative office space by 30% in Germany.

Lufthansa said expanding coronavirus tests for passengers before departure is essential to reviving global air travel.

Additional reporting by Ilona Wissenbach; Editing by Thomas Escritt, Edward Taylor and Alexander Smith

BY  Leslie Josephs

KEY POINTS

• The 737 MAX has been grounded since March 2019 after two crashes killed 346 people.
• The FAA is getting closer to certifying the planes but hasn’t given a firm timeline for when the Max will be cleared to fly.

An American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 flight from Los Angeles lands at Reagan National Airport shortly after an announcement was made by the FAA that the planes were being grounded by the United States in Washington, March 13, 2019. Joshua Roberts | Reuters

American Airlines is planning to start training its pilots on the still-grounded Boeing 737 Max this November, according to a company memo sent Monday.

The jets were grounded worldwide in March 2019 after two crashes killed 346 people, prompting software and other changes on the aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration is going through some of the last steps that would allow the planes to fly again but hasn’t provided a specific timeline. The FAA last month issued the safety changes needed for the planes to fly again. Public comments on those changes are due Monday.

An American Airlines spokesman said that the company hasn’t made any “definitive plans” on the Max an that the pilot training date can be adjusted based on regulators’ work.

“With the planned return to service for our B737 MAX aircraft in the near future, we will begin conducting B737 MAX Special Training for our B737 pilots,” Ameya Kingaonkar, director of flight training planning and scheduling, said in a pilot memo, which was seen by CNBC. 

Kingaonkar said that the company expects to train all of its 737 pilots on the Max by the end of January.

Southwest and United said they didn’t have any updates on potential 737 Max pilot training.

“We are awaiting the FAA’s guidance regarding the Max, and that guidance will drive our future timelines,” a Southwest spokesman said.

The 737 Max, while fuel-efficient, would return to air travel running at just a fraction of last year’s levels because of the coronavirus pandemic. Last week, Transportation Security Administration screened 4.9 million people at U.S. airports, down about 5% from the previous week and nearly 70% lower than a year ago.

Airline stocks were down sharply on Monday as concerns over further Covid-19 restrictions in Europe amid more outbreaks of the virus.

In afternoon trading, American Airlines’ shares were down more than 7%, Delta was off 9% and United was down 8%, while the S&P 500 was down 2.4%.

NCAA said some domestic airlines had been flouting the Covid-19 safety protocols Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has vowed to revoke the licence of domestic airline operators over non-compliance with the COVID-19 protocols of the Federal Government.

The NCAA Director General, Musa Nuhu, issued the warning in a letter to all operators (DG39/20) with reference NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/267, dated Sept. 21, on Monday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the title of the letter was "Non-Compliance with COVID-19 Protocols".

Mr Nuhu said the warning was necessary because some domestic airlines had been flouting the protocols.

The director-general added that continuity in that line would attract severe penalties, including revocation of approval.

According to him, the continuous non-compliance with the COVID-19 protocols will attract severe penalties up to and including cancellation of approval to resume domestic operations.

He said: "It has been brought to the notice of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority that some domestic airline operators have not been complying with the COVID-19 protocols.

"These protocols were released through All Operators Letter (AOL) DG035/20 ref. NCAA/DG/AIR/ 11/16/260, dated Sept. 4 and an Advisory Circular (AC) NCAA-AC-AMS-006, also dated Sept. 4.

"Approval for resumption of domestic operations are predicated on compliance with the above protocols."

Mr Nuhu added that this was a warning to all domestic operators who were not in compliance to desist from such acts immediately.

From Jide Orintunsin, Abuja

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday reaffirmed that the Federal Government has no business running  the refineries in the country.

He spoke at a virtual meeting organised for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Social Media bloggers and influencers at the ruling party’s Secretariat in Abuja.

Rather, the Vice President said the government would bank on private investors in refineries, adding that it would encourage them to take advantage of the new policy.

He noted that the challenges facing the government-owned refineries would persist if left in the hands of the government, stressing that it would continue to explore cheaper gas resources as an alternative.

Expressing confidence that the energy crisis would improve by the first quarter of next year when most of the modular refineries would have come on stream, he said: “If the refinery is left in the hands of the government, it will continue to experience the same problem it is experiencing now. I do not think that it is the business of government to run the refinery. It should be the business of the private sector, which is why we are trying to focus on assisting the private sector to develop modular refineries.

“There is a 100,000 barrel capacity refinery about to come on stream and we hope it will by the next year. It is completely private and closely located near the Port Harcourt Refinery so that it can share the facilities of the Port Harcourt Refinery. We are hopeful it will come on stream in the first quarter of next year.’’

“There are also six modular refineries that are almost ready. There is Niger Delta Petroleum refinery in Delta State, there is another one in Imo, there is also another modular refinery in Edo State.

“We engaged the oil producing communities to find a new vision for the Niger Delta and we tried to encourage modular refinery that will give the people in the oil producing states a stake so that the modular refinery is not just private but the people there have some stake and equity.

“The whole idea is to support as many private refinery as possible. We are also waiting for the Dangote Refinery with 250,000 barrels capacity which is bigger than all of the government refineries put together.

“In the next two or three months, we will see the private sector playing a bigger role and things will quickly improve. We hope that this particular effort will complete the refurbishment of the refineries which will be completed soon but I am more hopeful of the private effort been the key to the future.

“However, we have to focus more on our gas resources because there is no reason we should have a cheaper energy source and we should not use such cheaper energy source. I believe that this is really the way to go,” Prof Osinbajo said.