FGN, Air Peace to evacuate 200 Nigerians stranded in Canada

The Federal Government in collaboration with Air Peace, has concluded arrangements to evacuate 200 Nigerians stranded in Canada due to travel restriction.

In a press statement on Monday, the Nigeria High Commission in Canada stated that it had received no fewer than 200 requests for evacuation which will take place this Thursday.  

It stated that a Boring 777 aircraft operated by Air peace had been specially been arranged to convey the intending returnees back to Nigeria.

The high commission noted that it could be the only special evacuation flight for Nigerian nationals stranded in Canada due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The statement further explained that the plane would pick the prospective passengers from two locations in Canada, namely Toronto and Alberta.

According to the flight schedule, the aircraft is expected to pick the first set from the Pearson International Airport, Toronto.

However, based on the arrangement, from Toronto, the aircraft will fly to the Calgary International Airport, Alberta, a distance of 2,915 k.m., to load the second set of passengers.

The aircraft will depart Alberta for the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, where the evacuees would be moved into isolation for 14 days.

The one-way flight will cost each prospective evacuee between 1,130 dollars (N452,000) and 2,000 dollars (N800,000) depending on the class.

The special evacuation exercise began on Wednesday with the return of 265 Nigerians from the United Arab Emirates.

On Friday, 253 were brought back from the United Kingdom, followed by 160 from the United States on Sunday.

This brings to 678 the total number of Nigerians evacuated by the Federal Government so far since the travel restriction.