Emirates to resume flight operations to Nigeria — 10 months after suspension

Emirates and Etihad Airlines are expected to resume flight operations in Nigeria immediately.

The development is the result of a meeting between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Mohamed bin Zayed, president of the United Arab Emirates.

The agreement was reached on Monday in Abu Dhabi, according to a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the president, on media and publicity.

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

The move was the second time the airline halted flights to the country after it took a similar decision in August last year.

According to the statement, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also lifted its visa ban imposed on Nigerian travellers at the meeting with Tinubu.

“Furthermore, by this historic agreement, both Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines are to immediately resume flight schedules into and out of Nigeria, without any further delay,” the statement reads.

“As negotiated between the two heads of state, this immediate restoration of flight activity, through these two airlines and between the two countries, does not involve any immediate payment by the Nigerian government.

The statement added that in recognition of the proposals presented by Tinubu to his counterpart, an agreed framework has been established, which would “involve several billions of U.S. dollars worth of new investments into the Nigerian economy across multiple sectors”, including defense, agriculture and others, by the investment arms of the government of the United Arab Emirates.