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COVID-19: See What Airline Staff Are To Start Wearing During Flight In Nigeria (PHOTOS)
When flight operations resume in Nigeria, airline staff have been mandated to wear full-body protective suits.
This instruction is part of the new COVID-19 public-health protocol announced by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
Until this new update, crews operating international flights were quarantined for 14 days upon return to Nigeria. This has been the practice since the COVID-19 crisis started. However, the new protocol has scrapped that practice. Now, upon return to Nigeria, the airline staff would be made to undergo mandatory testing for COVID-19 every 14 days. The cost would be borne by the Air Operator.
The Director-General of the NCAA, Musa Nuhu has written to operators, airports and other service providers on the protocol. He insisted that crews operating regional and international flights must adhere to the new protocols. They are also to ensure the orientation and sensitization of crew on infection-prevention-and-control measures.
Others measures as contained in the letter include that operators must ensure they have adequate stock of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). They should also have a minimum 70% alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Also, they must have universal precaution kits (UPK) onboard aircraft before the flight and that flight crew must wear PPE.
The airline is also required to carry “augmented crew” to ensure the immediate turnaround of the flight with no crew member disembarking from the aircraft. The exception would be that the pilot will conduct the mandatory walk around in which case the pilot is required to wear a non-medical facemask and gloves.
Onboard, the flight crew must also ensure passengers wash their hands after using the lavatory. They must also apply disinfectant in lavatory every 60 minutes during the flight. Safe distance between passengers and themselves must be maintained. There must be the avoidance of direct physical contact and serve only pre-packed meals to passengers.
For the Captain and his Assistants (First officers), they can remove their face mask when the cockpit door is closed for safety reasons. Cabin crew must also “ensure the safe removal of gloves after performing specific tasks. They should avoid touching their face and eyes with unclean hands. Also, they must ensure that all passengers wear a non-medical face mask for the duration of the flight except when eating or using emergency oxygen, airline staff are to ensure that passengers rub their hands with alcohol-based sanitizer as they embark the aircraft.”
