The Federal Government of Nigeria has reinstated its
approval for Emirates Airlines’ winter flight schedule, consisting of 21 weekly
passenger flight frequencies to the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja;
and the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos.
This is as the United Arab Emirates cave in to pressure and
granted Nigeria’s Air Peace Airline daily slots at the Dubai Airport, in the
spirit of reciprocity and the Bilateral Air Service Agreement in existence
between the UAE and Nigeria.
The Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation
Authority, Capt Musa Nuhu, made the reinstatement known in a letter to the
Country Manager of Emirates Airlines in Nigeria on Tuesday.
The NCAA also copied its counterpart in the UAE, the General
Authority of Civil Aviation as well as the Nigerian Minister of Aviation, Hadi
Sirika.
The letter marked, NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/334, was titled, ‘The
FG grants Emirates 21 weekly flights as UAE allows Air Peace daily schedule’.
It read, ”Following further consultations with various
stakeholders and the letter from Dubai Civil Aviation Authority with reference
number DCAA/ASA/N-3/016 dated 17 December, 2021 offering Air Peace airline
daily slots at Dubai Airport, I wish to inform you of the reinstatement of the
ministerial approval of Emirates Airlines Winter Schedule.
”This approval is predicated on the compliance with the
Dubai Travel Protocol as released by Dubai Airports on Friday 26 November, 2021
as it affects passengers travelling from Nigeria to UAE. Please be guided
accordingly.”
Back story
Nigeria had recently lifted the ban on Emirates Airlines’
flights to Nigeria after suspending the carrier from operating into Nigeria for
several months earlier, due to concerns over UAE carrier’s requirements in the
management of COVID-19.
Nuhu had stated that following the lifting of the ban, the
UAE-based airline applied to the Federal Ministry of Aviation for approval of
its winter flight schedule, consisting of 21 weekly passenger flight
frequencies to Nigeria, noting that Nigeria approved the schedule in the spirit
and intent of the BASA between both countries.
He had, however, expressed dissatisfaction that Air Peace
Airlines, the only Nigerian airline that operates passenger flights to Sharjah
International Airport in the UAE, requested three weekly passenger flight
frequencies but was granted only one.
Subsequently, Emirates Airline on Friday announced the
suspension of its flights to Nigeria, attributing its decision to the NCAA
policy limiting its operation in the country to one flight per week.
Nigeria currently has signed BASAs with over 90 countries
including the UAE. However, over the years, stakeholders have lamented that
most air agreements between Nigeria and other countries have been one-sided as
Nigerian airlines have been unable to reciprocate the agreements due to what
they termed, “aero-politics”.
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