Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, has hinted at the possibility of United Arab Emirates (UAE) airlines resuming flight operations to Nigeria by June.
Keyamo made this revelation during an appearance on the Morning Show, an Arise TV programme, where he disclosed that he had received a letter from Emirates confirming the resolution of all issues between the airline and Nigeria.
He stated, “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.”
Keyamo attributed the success in resolving the issues to diplomatic efforts, particularly commending President Muhammadu Buhari for his involvement in facilitating the negotiations.
He added, “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 prepared to start coming back. It may be before June.”
The rift between UAE and Nigeria stemmed from the UAE’s ban on nationals from about 20 African countries, including Nigeria, from entering its borders. This ban prompted diplomatic tensions between the two nations, leading to issues regarding flight allocations and travel restrictions.
However, with the recent indications of resolution, there is optimism that UAE airlines will soon resume operations in Nigeria, providing relief to travelers and fostering stronger diplomatic ties between the two countries.
