Emirates Airlines from the United Arab Emirates is gearing up to restart flights to Nigeria, following recent diplomatic efforts to mend relations between the two countries.
The announcement came after multiple visits from President Bola Tinubu to the UAE, aimed at addressing the communication breakdown between Nigeria and the UAE.
Speaking on Arise Television on Monday, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, disclosed that Emirates Airlines had expressed its readiness to resume operations in Nigeria through a letter sent to the Nigerian Government.
Keyamo clarified that the developments following the earlier visits were not fabricated but had been hastily presented.
He stated, “Emirates flight resumption is almost happening. I just received a letter from Emirates. They have gone through all the procedures and are ready to come back. They will announce the date because to restart a route, they must get an aircraft for that route.”
The minister further revealed, “I am announcing to Nigerians for the first time; that I just received a letter from Emirates now. The letter is with me. I have a hard copy thanking you for all the efforts we made. Mr. President was the showman here. He was the one who pushed for it. He made my job easy because he went there, and had a diplomatic shuttle to resolve all the issues.”
Keyamo emphasized that the previous announcement regarding the airline’s return was not false but rather was made hastily, adding, “They will announce the date for their next flight. We have received a letter confirming that all the issues have been resolved and prepared to start coming back. It may be before June.”
In addition to Emirates suspending flights to Nigeria in 2022, the UAE Immigration Department had halted visa applications from 22 countries, including 20 African nations.
