FG lifts ban on Emirates Airlines

Etim Ekpimah 

The Federal Government has lifted the ban on Emirates Airlines from operating in Nigeria. 

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said this on his Twitter handle on Wednesday. 

“UAE has written to state that they agree to issue visas to Nigerians, consequently decision has been reached to allow Emirates to fly into Nigeria. 

“Commencement of the Visa issuance is condition precedent. Please bear with this unusual situation. Many thanks,” he said. 

The minister had on September 18 announced the ban of Emirates flights to Nigeria. 

The Federal Government had earlier vowed to enforce the principle of reciprocity in granting permission to airlines to resume operations. 

Before the resumption of international flights in the country, the Federal Government had announced that Air France, KLM, Etihad, RwandAir, Air Namibia, Royal Air Maroc, Lufthansa, TAAG Angola Airlines were not granted approval to commence flight operations. 

Cabo Verde and South African airlines were also denied approval as international flights had yet to resume in their countries. 

Middle East Airline, British Airways, Delta, Qatar, Ethiopian Airlines, Air Peace, Virgin Atlantic, Asky Airlines, Africa World Airways, Air Cote D’ Ivoire, Kenya Airways, EgyptAir, Turkish Airlines were all granted approval to resume operations in Nigeria. 

EgyptAir, Virgin Atlantic, Turkish Airlines, Africa World Airways, Kenya Airways, and Middle East Airlines were announced as the airlines permitted to use Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, while British Airways, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Africa World Airways, and Middle East Airlines were granted approval to use Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. 

Sirika said it was necessary for Nigeria to implement the principle of reciprocity to all countries that had banned flights from Nigeria. 

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has agreed to resume visa issuance to Nigerians. 

This was announced by Sirika through his Twitter handle on Wednesday. 

Sirika stated that Nigeria also permitted the operation of Emirates Airlines in Nigeria. 

According to him, lifting of the visa restriction was a condition for Nigeria to allow Emirates Airlines operations in Nigeria. 

He tweeted, “UAE has written to state that they agree to issue visas to Nigerians, consequently, decision has been reached to allow Emirates to fly into Nigeria. 

“Commencement of the Visa issuance is condition precedent. Please bear with this unusual situation. Many thanks.”