Emirates is set to resume operations this year in Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria. This is according to Festus Keyamo, the country’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development. The airline is slated to get back to business in Nigeria sometime around June, as a result of the efforts of the president of the country, Bola Tinubu.
- Emirates to resume flights in Nigeria, expected around June.
- Diplomatic efforts by the president resolve the rift between the Emirates and Nigeria.
- The Minister of Aviation confirms Emirates' readiness to return, pending official announcement.
According to the Minister during an interview with Arise TV, as seen in the Nigerian newspaper, The Punch, the rift between Emirates and Nigeria has been resolved thanks to the intervention of the country’s president Bola Tinubu.
To this effect the airline has sent an official letter to the country, confirming its readiness to resume operations in Nigeria. They are set to announce an official resumption date.
“Emirates flight resumption is almost happening. I just received a letter from Emirates. The letter is on my phone now. They have gone through all the gamut, and they are ready to come back. They will announce the date because to restart a route, they have to get an aircraft for that route,” the Minister said.
After the Dubai Airshow in November 2023, Keyamo revealed that he had a meeting with Emirates Airlines executives about an eventual resumption.
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“I am announcing to Nigerians for the first time; that I just received a letter from Emirates now. The letter is with me. I have a hard copy thanking you for all the efforts we made. Mr. President was the showman here. He was the one who pushed for it,” the Minister stated.
“He made my job easy because he went there, and had a diplomatic shuttle to resolve all the issues. That was why I said the last announcement was hasty and not fake news. They will announce the date for their next flight. We have received a letter confirming that all the issues have been resolved and that we are prepared to start coming back. It may be before June,” he added.
Given its inability to repatriate cash stored in Nigeria, Emirates Airline discontinued its flight business in Nigeria in October 2022. The airline cited the $85 billion in income stuck in Nigeria for the stoppage that occurred in October.
