The federal government has reinstated Emirates’ winter flight schedule to Nigeria.
The schedule consisted of 21 weekly passenger flights to Nigeria, comprising two daily flights to Lagos airport and one daily flight to Abuja airport.
This was contained in a letter dated December 21 and signed by Musa Nuhu, Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
The letter was addressed to the country manager, Emirates Airlines, Nigeria.
Emirates is the largest airline and one of two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – – the other is Etihad Airways.
“Following further consultations with various stakeholders and the letter from Dubai CAA with reference number DCAA/JASA/N-3/016 dated 17″ December 2021 offering Air Peace Airlines daily slots at Dubai Airports (DXB), I wish to inform you the reinstatement of the Ministerial approval of Emirates Airlines Winter Schedule,” the statement reads.
“This approval is predicated on compliance with the Dubai Travel Protocol as released by Dubai Auports on Friday 26th November 2021 as it affects passengers traveling from Nigeria to UAE.”
Air Peace had requested a slot of three weekly flights from Nigeria to Sharjah Airport in UAE, but only one was granted.
The UAE’s GCAA blamed the airline for pulling out of Sharjah Airport and “so should not expect to retain its flight frequency there” — a claim Air Peace has denied.
In retaliation to the UAE’s treatment of Air Peace, the federal government cut Emirate’s slots from 21 to just one, causing Emirates to pull out of the Nigerian route indefinitely.
Last week, the UAE finally conceded six slots to Air Peace, both at the Dubai and Sharjah airports.
(The Witness)
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