FG lifts suspension on Emirates flights from Nigeria

The federal government has lifted the suspension it had earlier placed on Emirates airline flights from Nigeria for violating COVID-19 testing directive.

The federal government (FG) conveyed the lifting of the suspension on Emirates airline in a letter signed by Musa Nuhu, director-general of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

TheCable had reported that FG placed a ban on outbound Emirates airline for violating the directive of the Presidential Task Force on (PTF) on COVID-19.

The airline had been conducting rapid antigen based test for its passengers in a laboratory not approved by the Nigerian authorities.

The lifting of the ban on the airline is coming after the United Arab Emirates granted the carrier permission to withdraw the rapid antigen testing done prior to the departure flights from Nigeria.

In the view of the new development, the FG through the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 directed the immediate lifting of the suspension placed on the operations of Emirates airlines in Nigeria.

““Emirates Airlines will be duly informed of ongoing enforcement actions by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority with regards to the established non-compliances to PTF directives and protocols as enumerated in our letter of February 4, 2021,” the letter read.

Emirates airline has therefore communicated its continuation of operations to Dubai from Nigeria.

“Emirates can confirm that we will continue to operate services to Abuja and Lagos. We are strongly committed to Nigeria and would like to thank the local authorities for their trust and support. We look forward to continuing to safely connect our customers, and meet air travel demand from Nigeria to and through Dubai to Emirates’ global network,” the airline said.

TheCable had reported that the state-owned airline had announced an additional COVID-19 test requirement for passengers and also banned transit flights operated by other airlines with Nigerian passengers.