Keyamo Gives Update On Return Of Emirates Airlines Flight Operations In Nigeria

Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has announced that Emirates Airlines has provided a confirmed date for the resumption of flight operations to Nigeria.

Keyamo disclosed this information via his official social media platform on Wednesday, May 15.

The Minister stated that he received correspondence from Emirates Airlines during his visit to the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, in Abuja.

According to him, the official date for the airline resumption will be announced soon.

“Yesterday, I paid a working visit to the Ambassador of the UAE to Nigeria, His Excellency Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, at the UAE Embassy in Abuja. He handed me a correspondence from the Emirates Airline indicating a definite date for their resumption of flights to Nigeria.

“That date will be formally announced by Emirates Airlines in a matter of days,” Keyamo noted.

Emirates Airlines halted flight services to Nigeria in October 2022 due to challenges in repatriating funds from the country.

This was the second time the airline suspended operations in the year, following an initial suspension in August 2022. The airline cited $85 million in revenue trapped in Nigeria as the reason for the October suspension.

On November 19, 2023, Keyamo mentioned that Emirates Airlines would soon reveal the specific date for resuming flight operations to Nigeria. He also noted that the federal government is addressing certain aspects related to the resumption.