Emirates Airlines has revealed plans to resume flight operations to Nigerian airports starting from October 1, 2024, after a two-year hiatus. The announcement was made by the airline on its verified X handle, signaling a significant development in air travel between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“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 Airlines stated.
The decision to resume flights follows a meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, and the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, in Abuja. Keyamo confirmed receiving correspondence from Emirates Airlines, which outlined the definite date of their flight resumption.
This announcement comes after months of anticipation since November 2023 when Keyamo had hinted at Emirates Airlines’ imminent return to Nigerian skies. The flight suspension between Nigeria and the UAE had been part of a broader diplomatic row, exacerbated by issues surrounding the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) and visa restrictions.
Despite previous speculation about the lifting of visa bans on Nigerian travelers to the UAE, the restrictions remain in place. However, Emirates Airlines’ decision to resume flights signals a positive step towards restoring normalcy in air travel between the two countries.
