The lingering face-off between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over allocation of flight frequencies to each country’s Flag Carriers – Air Peace airline and Emirates airline got messier over the weekend as the UAE government has barred Nigerians from entering the country.
Already, the UAE authorities had instructed all foreign airlines flying in and out of the UAE not to bring any Nigerian passenger into the territory.
Consequently, Nigerian passengers were denied boarding on Ethiopian airline at the Muritala Muhammed International airport, Lagos. Similarly, Ethiopian Airlines, Turkish Air, and other international airlines going to Dubai from their bases have also been directed not to board any passenger with Nigerian passport whose final destination is Dubai, UAE.
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had on Friday, canceled the 21 frequencies earlier granted Emirates airline and restricted it to one flight to Abuja every week. The decision was in response to the UAE denying Air Peace the three weekly frequency to Sharjah, UAE as requested for by the Nigerian airline.
The withdrawal of the approval earlier granted Emirates airline, was contained in a letter on Friday by the Director General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority,NCAA , Captain Musa Nuhu. The letter with the reference number: NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/329, dated December 9, 2021 and titled: ‘Withdrawal of Ministerial Approval of Emirates Airlines Winter Schedule,’ was addressed to the Country Manager, Emirates Airlines.
The letter read: “I write to inform you of the withdrawal of the approval granted to Emirates Airlines winter schedule. This approval was conveyed via a letter with reference number FMA/ATMO/501/C.104/XV/356 dated 1st December 2021. The withdrawal becomes effective on Sunday 12th December 2021 at 23002. Please kindly note, henceforth Emirates Airlines is granted approval to operate only one weekly passenger frequency to Abuja on Thursdays.”
Emirates had on Friday suspended its flights to Nigeria in reaction to the Nigerian government’s decision.
The airline had said: “With the recently imposed directive limiting Emirates to operate one flight per week to Nigeria via Abuja, Emirates will be suspending its flights between Nigeria and Dubai from 13 December 2021, until the UAE and Nigerian authorities work on a solution to the ongoing issue.”
The Nigerian government had in March, suspended Emirates from flying into or out of her territory after the carrier-imposed additional COVID-19 test requirements on passengers from Nigeria . The suspension was lifted two weeks ago.after the issues were amicably resolved by parties.