BREAKING: EMIRATES AIRLINES RESUMES FLIGHTS TO NIGERIA OCTOBER 1
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By Ajape Sefiu A.
Emirates Airlines has announced that it will resume flight operations to Nigerian airports on October 1, 2024, after two years of halting operations in Nigeria.
This was disclosed by the Airlines on its verified X handle on Thursday.
Emirates wrote, “We’re back Nigeria! We’ll be resuming services to Lagos from 1 October 2024, and we can’t wait to offer unrivalled connectivity to Dubai and beyond to over 140 cities.”
According to the airlines, the service will be operated using a Boeing 777-300ER. EK783 will depart Dubai at 0945hrs, arriving in Lagos at 1520hrs; the return flight EK784 will leave Lagos at 1730hrs and arrive in Dubai at 0510hrs the next day.
Earlier, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, hinted at the development.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, Keyamo revealed that he met with the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, in Abuja on Tuesday. During the meeting, he said Al-Shamsi handed him a correspondence from Emirates Airlines confirming the flight resumption date.
The Minister wrote, “Yesterday (on Tuesday), I paid a working visit to the Ambassador of the UAE to Nigeria, His Excellency, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, at the UAE Embassy in Abuja,” Keyamo stated.
“He handed me a correspondence from the Emirates Airline indicating a definite date of their resumption of flights to Nigeria. That date will be formally announced by Emirates Airlines in a matter of days.”
Likewise, Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, said, “We are excited to resume our services to Nigeria. The Lagos-Dubai service has traditionally been popular with customers in Nigeria and we hope to reconnect leisure and business travelers to Dubai and onwards to our network of over 140 destinations. We thank the Nigerian government for their partnership and support in re-establishing this route and we look forward to welcoming passengers back onboard.”
“Tickets can be booked now on emirates.com or via travel agents.
This announcement marks another effort by the Nigerian government to restore flight operations between Nigeria and the UAE.
Recall that in November 2023, Keyamo had previously announced that Emirates Airlines would soon reveal the exact date of their return to Nigerian skies.
The flight suspension between Nigeria and the UAE had been part of a broader diplomatic row.
The two countries have faced longstanding issues related to the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA). More recently, visa restrictions have compounded the situation, affecting many Nigerian migrants and tourists who consider the UAE a top destination.
Recall that Emirates Airlines halted its flights to Nigeria in 2022 due to difficulties in repatriating trapped funds in the country.
Despite a meeting in September 2023 between Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, where it was rumored that the UAE had lifted its visa ban on Nigerian travelers, the ban remains in effect.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga later clarified that the UAE had not lifted the visa restrictions on Nigerians.
The Emirates Boeing 777-300ER serving Lagos will operate with 8 First Class suites, 42 Business Class seats, and 304 seats in Economy Class. Offering the best experience in the sky, passengers can dine on regionally inspired multi-course menus developed by a team of award-winning chefs, complemented by a wide selection of premium beverages. Customers can tune in to over 6,500 channels of global entertainment, including 23 Nigerian movies, in addition to series and other content on ice, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system.
Among others, key anticipated commodities such as Kola Nuts, food and beverages, and urgent courier material. Emirates SkyCargo will also import vital goods such as pharmaceuticals and electronics, as well as general cargo, from key markets such as the UAE, India and Hong Kong. Keeping trade flowing seamlessly, these goods will be transported quickly, efficiently, and reliably via the airline’s multi-vertical specialized product portfolio.
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