COVID-19: FG Stops Emirates Airlines From Operating In Nigeria

The Federal Government has barred Emirates Airlines from operating in Nigeria as part of measures to curb the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

This was made known in a post on Twitter on Friday by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika.

Sirika who said the decision was taken after a meeting between the Presidential Task Force and the European Union, added that the ban would take effect from Monday, September 21, 2020.

“The PTF sub-committee met today with EU Ambassadors to discuss Lufthansa, Air France/KLM ban. The meeting progressed well. Emirates Airlines’s situation was reviewed & they are consequently included in the list of those not approved, with effect from Monday the 21st September 2020,” he tweeted.

Recall that the federal government had earlier released a list of nine airlines granted approval to commence international flights the country.

The Aviation Minister had noted that Air France, KLM, Etihad, RwandAir, Air Namibia, Royal Air Maroc, Lufthansa, TAAG Angola Airlines were denied approval to commence flight operations.

He said Cabo Verde and South African airlines were denied approval as international flights were 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, including Emirates Airlines, were all granted approval to resume.