The Federal Government has impounded a Boeing 777 jumbo plane belonging to the Angolan government at the Lagos airport for flying illegally into Nigeria.
The government grounded the passengers-laden plane and subsequently impounded it, shortly after touching down in the country on Wednesday afternoon.
The jumbo jet belongs to Angola Airlines, a state-owned airline and flag carrier of the Angolan government.
It was learnt that the plane flew into the country without the requisite and mandatory approvals from the Nigerian authorities.
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Aviation sources said the jet which was flown into the country purportedly to evacuate stranded Angolan citizens in Nigeria was found to be carrying fee-paying passengers.
However, the number of passengers on board the over 300-seater plane could not be ascertained as of the time of filing the report.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has commenced further investigation into the matter, it was learnt.
International flights, which were suspended in March by the Federal Government as part of measures to curtail the spread of the coronavirus are yet to resume.
It is expected to resume on August 29, subject to the readiness of foreign and international airlines to comply with certain COVID-19 regulations stipulated by the health and aviation authorities.