Festus Keyamo, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, announced the finalization of a deal for Emirates Airlines to resume flight operations to Nigeria, following discussions with the UAE’s aviation authorities.
Keyamo led a delegation to the UAE where a new Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) was negotiated to strengthen aviation ties between both countries.
In a statement posted on his official X account, Keyamo said, “Ahead of the resumption of Emirates flights to Nigeria next week Tuesday, I was in the UAE earlier today, together with my technical team, for the negotiation of a new Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between both countries to guide our new relationship henceforth.”
He further assured that Nigerian airlines will gain “reciprocal rights… to begin flight operations to the UAE,” signaling an important diplomatic milestone.
“Today (Friday), we firmly agreed on the reciprocal rights our local airlines will also have to begin flight operations to the UAE,” Keyamo added.
The return of Emirates Airlines on October 1, 2024, follows a suspension in November 2022, when Emirates halted its operations due to the inability to repatriate $85 million of its trapped revenue in Nigeria. The recent negotiations are part of broader efforts to restore direct air travel and improve relations between the two nations.
