FG adds Emirates to list of banned airlines

September 18, 2020 9:54 pm

4. Emirates is an airline based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The airline is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group, which is wholly owned by the government of Dubai's Investment Corporation of Dubai. Founded in 1985.

The federal government has withdrawn the approval granted to Emirates to conduct international flight operations in the country.

Hadi Sirika, minister of aviation, disclosed this via a post on his Twitter handle on Friday.

The ban will take effect on September 21, 2020.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had, in a memo earlier in September, included Emirates in the list of approved airlines for international flights for both Abuja and Lagos airports.

But the minister said the decision to reverse the approval was taken after a meeting of the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19 with European Union ambassadors on Friday.

Sirika also said there were discussions on the ban on Lufthansa and Air France-KLM.

“The PTF sub committee met today with EU Ambassadors to discuss Lufthansa, Air France/KLM ban. The meeting progressed well. Emirates Airlines’s situation was reviewed & they are consequently included in the list of those not approved, with effect from Monday the 21st Sept. 2020,” the minister wrote.

The PTF sub committee met today with EU Ambassadors to discuss Lufthansa, Air France/KLM ban. The meeting progressed well. Emirates Airlines’s situation was reviewed & they are consequently included in the list of those not approved, with effect from Monday the 21st Sept. 2020🇳🇬

— Hadi Sirika (@hadisirika) September 18, 2020