Emirates to Resume Flights to Nigeria

Emirates Flights is concluding arrangements to resume flights to Nigeria.

Brightened over the weekend as the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, revealed that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) carrier has concluded plans to return to the Nigerian airspace.

However, the details of the resumption were being finalized to “avoid the pitfalls of the last presidential engagement” with authorities in the Arab country.

Emirates has since suspended flight operations into Nigeria because they were not able to get their funds from sales of tickets.

According to data from the International Air Transport Association, as of August 2023, Nigeria accounted for a substantial $783m of airlines’ blocked funds.

Despite recent efforts to address the situation, the airlines said a significant portion of those funds remained inaccessible to them.

Read Also:

UAE Lifts Visa Ban against Nigerians, Following tinubu’s Intervention

Keyamo noted that during his attendance at the Dubai Airshow last week, he engaged in productive discussions with the top leadership of Emirates Airlines on the sidelines of the event.

According to the minister, the talks were warm and fruitful, indicating significant progress in the efforts to resume flights from Dubai to Nigeria.

He emphasized the dedication of the involved parties toward reaching an agreement, highlighting the pivotal role played by President Bola Tinubu in championing that initiative.

He said the collaborative efforts were expected to yield a positive outcome with the imminent announcement of the exact date for the resumption of Emirates flights, bringing relief to travelers eagerly awaiting the reopening of this crucial international route.

We are presently working on the small details and the airline will soon announce the exact date of their resumption of the flights, he said.