By Ola Kay
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo has confirmed the Emirates Airlines resumption of flight operations to Nigeria with Flight EK 783, its first flight from the United Arab Emirates, UAE, since 2022, touching down at Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA) at exactly 3:32 pm on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.
The Emirates come back flight into the country was sequel its earlier announcement to resume operations after resolving a two-year misunderstanding caused by concerns over trapped funds in the country.
The Minister of Aviation made the confirmation of the airlines return on Wednesday over his X account.
Keyamo revealed how he boarded an Emirates Airline’s flight on Wednesday morning alongside top Emirates Airlines executives and UAE representatives, adding that this became possible after spending several days in the UAE for talks focused on negotiating reciprocal flight rights for Nigerian airlines to operate in that country, among other issues discussed.
The minister also informed that a brief ceremony will take place in Lagos between officials from both governments to mark the return of Emirates Airlines to Nigeria’s aviation sector, as well as the reintroduction of Nigerian flag carriers to the UAE.
It would be recalled that In October 2022, Emirates Airlines suspended its flights to Nigeria over challenges associated with repatriation of trapped funds, despite assurances from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to resolve the foreign exchange differences.
It is equally noteworthy that after a year, during a diplomatic visit to the UAE in October 2023, President Tinubu secured an agreement with the UAE President to lift the visa ban on Nigerians and resume flights between both countries.
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