By Theresa Kef Sesay
Moses Tiffa Baio, the Director General of the Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority, recently intimated that his agency is presently engaging with international experts to resume flights into the country.
Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, this country closed its air space to international flights on 21st March, 2020 and it was decided that officially the closure must end on the 21st June. Whilst the Government is thinking of opening the country’s airspace, he said there are two considerations; one is ease of travelling and the other health safety.
However, he said, that he is in discussion with colleague DGs in West Africa to resume flights between their countries.
On the continental level, he said resuming flights into Sierra Leone depends on other countries opening their airspaces as there are no direct flights into Sierra Leone, even though Brussels Airlines has said they would resume flights to Sierra Leone on July 17 which Mr. Tiffa said is speculative but falls within the period that Government contemplates opening the country’s airspace.
He maintained that Government would not hurriedly open the country’s airspace if it would lead to a resurgence of Covid-19 cases from overseas into the country.
However, he assured that there is possibility of reopening the airport in phases, starting with flights to other West African countries until the EU, USA and other countries open their airspaces to international flights.
