Following the retaliatory action taken against the Emirates UAE airline by the federal government which led to the reduction of an earlier 21 frequencies approved for the Middle East airline to just one, the airline has in return announced the suspension of its operations into Nigeria.
In a statement issued by the airline this evening, it declared: “With the recently imposed directive limiting Emirates to operate one flight per week to Nigeria via Abuja, Emirates will be completely suspending its flights between Nigeria and Dubai, until the civil aviation authorities find a solution to the current ongoing issue.
“We regret the inconvenience this caused, and customers can contact their travel agent or booking office to make alternative arrangements. Emirates is committed to its operations in Nigeria, and we stand ready to reinstate services once restrictions are lifted by the Nigerian authorities, ensuring travelers have more choice and access to trade and tourism opportunities in Dubai, and beyond to our network of over 120 destinations.
The last flights to operate on 12 December 2021are EK 783/784 to/from Lagos and and EK 785/786 to/from Abuja
“Customers holding tickets with the final destinations Lagos and Abuja will not be accepted at the point of origin.
“Affected customers do not need to call us immediately for rebooking. Customers can simply hold on to their Emirates ticket and when flights resume, get in touch with their travel agent or booking office to make new travel plans,” the statement added.
The federal government had rescinded its earlier decision to allow Emirates to operate 21 weekly frequencies to Nigeria as reaction to the refusal of the UAE authorities to grant the request of Air Peace, the only Nigerian airline operating to UAE to operate three weekly flights to Sharjah.