Emirates Airline on Friday announced the suspension of its flights to Nigeria.
The airline in a statement said it decision was due to the recent directive limiting its operation in the country to one flight per week.
It noted that the suspension would continue until the civil aviation authorities from Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates found solution to the problem.
The statement read in part, “With the recently imposed directive limiting Emirates to operate one flight per week to Nigeria via Abuja, Emirates will be completely suspending its flights between Nigeria and Dubai, until the civil aviation authorities from both countries find a solution to the current ongoing issue.
“We regret the inconvenience caused, and customers can contact their travel agent or booking office to make alternative arrangements.”
The airline said it was committed to its operations in Nigeria, adding that it was ready to reinstate services once restrictions were lifted by the Nigerian authorities.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government on Friday provided explanations on why it had to cut down the daily flights of Emirates Airlines to just one per week to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
On Friday, The PUNCH reported that the Federal Government on Thursday withdrew its approval of Emirates Airlines’ winter schedule, cutting down the carrier’s daily flights to Abuja to just one day a week.
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Explaining its action, the Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Musa Nuhu, stated that following the lifting of the ban on Emirates Airline’s passenger flights to Nigeria by the government, the United Arab Emirates-based airline applied to the Federal Ministry of Aviation for approval of its winter flight schedule.
He said the requested schedule consisted of 21 weekly passenger flight frequencies to Nigeria, comprising two daily flights to Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos and one daily flight to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Nuhu said in a statement that the Minister of Aviation graciously approved the winter schedule as requested without any hindrance or arrival slots requirements in the spirit and intent of the Bilateral Air Services Agreement between Nigeria and UAE.
He further stated that Air Peace Airlines, the only Nigerian airline that operated passenger flights to Sharjah International Airport in UAE, requested three weekly passenger flight frequencies and was granted only one weekly passenger flight frequency.
The NCAA boss stated that the Director-General of General Civil Aviation Authority in the UAE attributed this action to the non-availability of arrival slots at Sharjah International Airport.
Nuhu said, “Bilateral Air Services Agreement between countries are based on the principle of reciprocity for transparency and fairness to both sides. While Nigerian authorities approved the request of Emirates Airlines, UAE authorities acted in total disregard of the terms and provisions of the BASA between the two countries by approving one out of the three weekly passenger flight frequencies requested by Air Peace Airlines.”
