By Emmanuel Obisue
Emirates Airlines has resumed flight operations to Nigeria after it was stalled in 2022, Nigerian Pilot reports.
This was as an Emirates Flight EK 783 from the United Arab Emirates touched down at Murtala Muhammad International Airport, MMIA, at exactly 3:32 pm on Tuesday.
Confirming the resumption on Wednesday via his X account, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo shared that he, along with top Emirates Airlines executives and UAE representatives, had boarded an Emirates Airline’s flight on Wednesday morning after spending several days in the UAE for discussions focused on negotiating reciprocal flight rights for Nigerian airlines to operate in the UAE, among other issues.
“Earlier this morning in Dubai, together with Executives of Emirates Airlines and top representatives from the office of the Vice-President of the UAE, we all boarded the Emirates flight to Lagos,” the Minister’s post read in part.
Keyamo also mentioned that a brief ceremony will take place in Lagos between officials from both governments to mark the return of Emirates Airlines to Nigeria’s aviation sector, as well as the reintroduction of Nigerian flag carriers to the UAE.
Emirate Airline’s return to Nigeria follows its earlier announcement to resume operations after resolving a two-year hiatus caused by concerns over trapped funds in the country.
Nigerian Pilot recalls that in October 2022, Emirates Airlines suspended flights to Nigeria due to difficulties in repatriating trapped funds, despite assurances from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to resolve the forex issues.
One year later, during a diplomatic visit to the UAE in October 2023, President Bola Tinubu secured an agreement with the UAE President to lift the visa ban on Nigerians and resume flights between both countries.
Earlier in May this year, Emirates Airlines confirmed plans to resume operations to Nigeria on October 1, 2024, as stated by Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer. Recently, Nigeria’s Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, announced that the country secured reciprocal flight rights for Nigerian airlines to operate in the UAE.
