A new twist emerged at the weekend following the suspension of commercial flights by Dubai’s flagship carrier, Emirates Airlines to and from Nigeria. The development was announced in a statement issued Friday evening by Emirates airlines, raising fears and threats to businesses and air travellers.
“With the recently imposed directive limiting Emirates to operate one flight per week to Nigeria via Abuja, Emirates will be completely suspending its flights between Nigeria and Dubai, until the civil aviation authorities find a solution to the current ongoing issue.
“We regret the inconvenience this caused, and customers can contact their travel agent or booking office to make alternative arrangements. Emirates is committed to its operations in Nigeria, and we stand ready to reinstate services once restrictions are lifted by the Nigerian authorities, ensuring travellers have more choice and access to trade and tourism opportunities in Dubai, and beyond to our network of over 120 destinations,” the statement read.
It was earlier reported that effective December 12, 2021, Emirates can only fly into Abuja just once weekly on Thursdays, while its Lagos flights are suspended.
A statement on Friday by Musa Nuhu, director-general, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), explained that Nigeria decided to respond to how the United Arab Emirates (UAE) treated Nigerian airline, Air Peace, adding that it is the responsibility of the government to protect Nigerian businesses.
UAE had reduced Air Peace’s request for three times weekly flight to one, claiming it did not have enough slots for the airline.
Nuhu said the NCAA withdrew the approval to Emirates following the refusal of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of UAE to grant equal rights to the sole Nigerian carrier, Air Peace, flying to Dubai via Sharjah.
Nigeria’s aviation minister, Hadi Sirika, had graciously granted Emirates Airlines 21 frequencies weekly to two major airports in Nigeria: Lagos (14) and Abuja (7). He regretted that despite this approval, the GCAA refused to grant Air Peace three weekly frequencies to Sharjah, approving just one frequency weekly.
