About 316 Britons were evacuated on Friday, May 1, 2020 by the British High Commission through a charter British Airways flight BAW9156, which took off from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at 4.46pm.
So far, 1,416 Brits have been evacuated to the UK in six flights in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and each passenger paid £477.50 from Abuja and £490.50 from Lagos according to information on the UK Mission’s website.
A statement from the Mission on said the flights were made possible by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Transportation and Aviation, the Federal Capital Territory and Lagos State authorities.
The British High Commissioner, Catriona Laing, stated that to be eligible for all flights, primary residence has to be in the UK and that they prioritised helping the most vulnerable and those who have an underlying medical condition placing them at greater risk of serious illness if they contact COVID-19.
“For these first few flights, we have been priotising vulnerable British citizens who are at risk of contracting COVID19, the elderly, the disabled and those with children. There will be more flights coming to Lagos and I urge more people to book because the more people book, the better chances we have when we make a case to London for more flights,” Laing said.
On its website, the UK Mission said: “The UK government has facilitated special flights from Abuja and Lagos for British travellers to Nigeria to return to the UK.
“Special flights from Abuja and Lagos to London commenced on 18 April. The flights cost £477.50 from Abuja and £490.50 from Lagos. All passengers must pay for their tickets to be eligible to take these flights, you must be normally resident in the UK. Your eligibility, including your UK address, will be checked before your tickets are issued.”
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