Emirates Airlines has announced plans to resume flight operations to Nigerian airports starting October 1, 2024, after a two-year hiatus in Nigeria.
The airline made this announcement through its verified X handle on Thursday, expressing excitement to resume services to Lagos and reconnect Nigeria to Dubai and over 140 other cities.
“We’re back Nigeria! We’ll be resuming services to Lagos from 1 October 2024, and we can’t wait to offer unrivalled connectivity to Dubai and beyond to over 140 cities,” Emirates wrote.
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, had earlier hinted at this development. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, Keyamo disclosed that he met with the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, in Abuja on Tuesday. Al-Shamsi handed him a correspondence from Emirates Airlines confirming the flight resumption date.
“Yesterday (On Tuesday), I paid a working visit to the Ambassador of the UAE to Nigeria, His Excellency, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi at the UAE Embassy in Abuja,” Keyamo stated. “He handed me a correspondence from the Emirates Airline indicating a definite date of their resumption of flights to Nigeria. That date will be formally announced by Emirates Airlines in a matter of days.”
This announcement marks a significant step in the efforts by the Nigerian government to restore flight operations between Nigeria and the UAE. Emirates Airlines had suspended its flights to Nigeria in 2022 due to challenges in repatriating funds from the country.
Despite diplomatic efforts and meetings between leaders of both countries, including a meeting between Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in September 2023, visa restrictions for Nigerian travelers to the UAE remain in effect.
However, with this latest development, there is hope for improved air travel between Nigeria and the UAE, benefiting both nations’ economies and fostering stronger diplomatic ties.
