Emirates’ return will open more international routes for local airlines, says Keyamo

Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development, says the return of Emirates will open more international destinations to local airlines.

Keyamo’s statement followed the return of Emirates, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) flag carrier, to Nigeria after two years.

Speaking on Wednesday in Lagos after arriving aboard an Emirates aircraft from UAE, the minister assured that the airline has returned to stay.

Keyamo also said the bilateral air service agreement (BASA) discussed was to secure the route for local operators.

He said local carriers now have the opportunity to fly into any destination in the UAE.

“With this, we have more competition on different international routes now. That is what it’s all about, to ensure a healthy competition,” Keyamo said.

“A healthy competition leads to competitive pricing for the benefit of the Nigerian people.

“But you also know that why we fought for this, is that Dubai in particular, is a major hub of the world, it links virtually every country.

“For our airlines too, I can tell you that we also secured some kind of code sharing agreement. We told them that if you want to code share, our airlines will have the right of first refusal.”

Keyamo also applauded the support of President Bola Tinubu in the agreement and return of the airline, saying that the relationship between the two countries have been restored.

“The relationship went downhill with visa suspension and suspension of their flights for Nigerians, it was especially damaging, because we know that Nigerians have a lot of investments in the UAE,” the minister said.

“They have a lot of interest and investments there so, eventually it was not an adventure in self-glorification, it was actually a fight for the people of Nigeria especially.

“We signed a new BASA defining our relationship altogether, again making it more healthy, more open and for the benefits especially of the Nigerian people.”

In November 2022, Emirates suspended flight operations to Nigeria over its inability to repatriate its $85 million revenue trapped in the country.

Keyamo, on April 8, 2024, announced that he received a letter from the airline confirming that all the issues have been resolved and is prepared to resume flights.

On September 27, Nigeria and the UAE agreed on reciprocal rights ahead of the resumption of Emirates Airlines’ flight operations to Nigeria.