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Ban on Emirates Airlines stays until condition fulfilled – Sirika
BY NICHOLAS ABE
The Federal Government of Nigeria has given indication it would lift the ban on Emirates Airlines from operating into the country.
This however depends on how soon the government of United Arab Emirates (UAE) fulfils its promise to restart visa issuance to Nigerians.
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, announced on his Twitter handle on Wednesday Nigeria’s readiness to reopen the air space for Emirates to fly into Nigeria, based on a letter from the UAE agreeing to lift the visa ban on Nigerians.
“UAE has written to state that they agree to issue visas to Nigerians, consequently decision has been reached to allow Emirates to fly into Nigeria.
“Commencement of the visa issuance is condition precedent. Please bear with this unusual situation. Many thanks,” Sirika tweeted.
Emirates had been named as one of the airlines allowed to fly into Nigeria, following the reopening of the nation’s air space. But complaints from some European airlines whose countries placed visa ban on Nigeria moved the federal government on September 18, to stop Emirates from further flying into the country, until UAE restores visa issuance to Nigeria.
The Federal Government had earlier vowed to enforce the principle of reciprocity in granting permission to airlines to resume operations.
READ: FG bans Emirates Airlines from flying into Nigeria
Sirika said it was necessary for Nigeria to implement the principle of reciprocity to all countries that had banned flights from Nigeria.
Before the resumption of international flights in the country, the Federal Government had announced that Air France, KLM, Etihad, RwandAir, Air Namibia, Royal Air Maroc, Lufthansa, TAAG Angola Airlines were not granted approval to commence flight operations.
Cabo Verde and South African airlines were also denied approval as international flights had yet to resume in their countries.
Middle East Airline, British Airways, Delta, Qatar, Ethiopian Airlines, Air Peace, Virgin Atlantic, Asky Airlines, Africa World Airways, Air Cote D’ Ivoire, Kenya Airways, EgyptAir, Turkish Airlines were all granted approval to resume operations in Nigeria.
EgyptAir, Virgin Atlantic, Turkish Airlines, Africa World Airways, Kenya Airways, and Middle East Airlines were announced as the airlines permitted to use Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, while British Airways, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Africa World Airways, and Middle East Airlines were granted approval to use Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.