LAGOS-Nigeria’s timely containment of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) which has attracted huge commendation from the international community, including the World Health Organisation (WHO) is paying off, as air passenger traffic into and also out of the country’s airports has been sustained, despite the outbreak of the disease in July.

The disease has however crippled air travel business in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, where a total of about 1,400 deaths have been recorded since the recent outbreak, leading to the cancellation of as much as 216 of the 590 monthly international flights scheduled to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Official Airline Guide (OAG), an airline data provider says.

However, with only five deaths recorded in Nigeria, including the late Patrick Sawyer (the index case) who imported the deadly disease into the country, analysts observe that inbound passenger traffic has been sustained, indication confidence from the international community, regarding the country’s prompt and proper response to the EVD incident.

“We are yet to feel any significant impact of the dreaded Ebola disease in the industry,” the country manager of a popular international airline, who preferred anonymity, told to our reporter. He further said that though many airlines have suspended operations to Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, which are much more afflicted by EVD, the flow of passengers into  Nigeria has remained unaltered.

Despite warnings and explanations by  WHO and other health experts, that the risk of travelers in the same flight contracting the deadly EVD remains very low because it can only be transferred through body fluids or secretions such as blood, sweat, urine and saliva and is not airborne, about one-third of international flights to the three most hit West African countries have been cancelled in the past one month.

Kola Olayinka, country commercial manager, British Airways, in response to questions from BusinessDay, doused any apprehension of flight cancellation to Nigeria, stating that the country is yet to be referred to as an Ebola-nation, considering the aggressive approach of the Federal Government to contain the disease.

Olayinka said that after the late Sawyer gained access into the country through the airport, all hands have been on deck to ensure such a scenario is not repeated.

This he explained, has led to the installation of scanning equipment at some sections of the airports, to allow officials thoroughly examine passengers coming into the country.

Just last week, the government of the  United States donated equipment worth $5,000 to help boost screening capacity at the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos.

The new items include infrared non-contact thermometers and face shields. An infrared thermometer is a portable handheld device with the ability to  measure body temperature of in and out- bound passengers.

Joff Hawkins, US Consul-General in Nigeria, presenting the equipment, expressed satisfaction with the timely response of the Nigerian Government to the contagious disease, since its importation into the country by Patrick Sawyer about a month ago.

Meanwhile, South Africa Airways is set to increase its flight frequency between Lagos and Johannesburg from  seven to eight times per week.

This, the firm explained, is a direct response to increasing demand from passengers for its services, and also in line with its mandate to draw the footprint of integrating Africans within the continent.

Aaron Munetsi, regional general manager for Africa & Middle East, South Africa Airways, countered any notion of the carrier suspending its services to Nigeria, explaining that the airline remains pleased with efforts of the government to contain the disease.

On the efforts of the airline to ensure it does not in anyway help spread the virus, Munetsi confirmed that the carrier does not currently fly to any of the countries seriously hit by Ebola.

He also revealed that since the disease broke out, the airline has engaged its staff in several training programmes on how best to ensure passengers are adequately protected while on board.

“Our staff have been trained  to ensure passengers do not transit when they are sick, infact they have been mandated to report any sick person trying to board the flight to appropriate authorities,” he said, adding that as part of the carrier’s protective measures, staff in direct contact with passengers from the severely hit countries use protective measures such as gloves to protect themselves from any possible infection.

BUSINESSDAY-