By KOLA OYELERE, Kano

The Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) on Tuesday, April 5 2021, commenced international flight operations after months of closure due to the outbreak of COVID-19 which forced the airport to be closed down for operations since last year.

It will be recalled that the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, in March said the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport would be reopened for international flights on April 5, 2021.

Hadi Sirika also disclosed that the Port Harcourt and Enugu airports would be reopened for international flights on April 15, 2021, and May 3, 2021, respectively.

An Ethiopian Airlines plane with registration number: 5N- ATH landed at MAKIA on Tuesday at 1.30 pm and departed with over 100 passengers at exactly 3.00 pm.

Notable personalities from the business community and lawmakers from Kano at the National Assembly had expressed frustration as government policies such as travel restrictions and quarantines continue to impact negatively on travel demands at Malam Aminu Kano international airport (MAKIA).

It will be recalled that the Federal Government had, at the beginning of the ban on international and domestic travels, shut down airports in Nigeria to prevent the importation of the virus.

However, the Federal Government later reopened the Lagos and Abuja airports for international flights, a situation that made stakeholders from the state to mount pressure on the Federal Government to re-open other airports for international operations. (Nigerian Tribune)