Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN) said Nigeria has commenced discussions with the Brazilian Ambassador to Nigeria, Carlos Garcete, to activate the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) and initiate direct flights between Nigeria and Brazil.
According to a statement on Monday by the Special Adviser, Media and Communications to the Minister, Tunde Moshood, the move followed the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two nations in 2018 to boost air connectivity and economic cooperation.
The statement said the two envoys emphasised the need for new BASA arrangements to reflect current realities in the aviation world.
It added that the meeting stemmed from the mutual interests shared by President Tinubu and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during a meeting in Addis Ababa in February 2024. They agreed to reinitiate the BASA arrangements, recognizing the cultural and economic ties between Nigeria and Brazil.
Commenting, Ambassador Garcete highlighted the potential for immediate commencement of flight services, noting that both nations could facilitate 4 to 5 flights per week.
He stated that the “introduction of direct flights will spark significant economic growth between our countries.”