Saudi Arabia has banned flights to and from Nigeria over Omicron fears. The move follows a recent outbreak of the virus in six African countries, including Nigeria, which has already confirmed six cases. A mutated strain of the Omicron virus, COVID-19, has been detected in South Africa. In response to the latest news, the Saudi government has updated institutional quarantine procedures for citizens from countries that have been suspended.
In the meantime, the GACA has suspended all flights from Nigeria. This follows an official statement issued by the Saudi authority, which was sent to all private airlines and airports. The ban has already affected many Nigerians who traveled to Saudi Arabia to perform lesser Hajj. The authorities are now assessing the impact of the flight suspension on their activity. And what about trips to Canada and the UK?
In order to limit the spread of the virus in the region, the Saudi government has suspended flights to and from Nigeria. Non-Saudi nationals who spent 14 days in a foreign country were exempt from the new regulations. The country’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GACA) also issued an official circular ordering all airlines to discontinue flights to Nigeria and update institutional quarantine procedures for non-Saudi citizens in from the affected countries.
