Ungrateful Emirates! Nigerian government clips airline’s wings

The Federal Government has literally clipped the burgeoning wings of United Arab Emirates (UAE) carrier Emirates, slashing its 21 weekly flight slots to Nigeria to only one.

At the centre of this tit-for-tat aero-politics is Nigeria’s private carrier Air Peace, which has been at the receiving end of UAE’s overly lack of regard for Nigeria’s interest.

RELIABLESOURCENG.COM gathered that government would be suspending Emirates flights from flying to the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, while approving only one weekly flight to Abuja for the airline.

Prior to this, Emirates was operating 14 weekly flights to Lagos and seven to Abuja, making it 21 flights a week.

The government said its decision was to reciprocate UAE’s refusal to grant the three slots requested by Air Peace, the sole Nigerian carrier operating to Dubai via Sharjar.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) consequently has withdrawn the Ministerial approval for Emirates Airlines’ winter schedule.

In the letter dated 9 December, 2021, with reference number NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/329, and addressed to the Country Manager, Emirates Airlines, Nigeria, the NCAA affirmed that the withdrawal will take effect on Sunday.

Part of the letter, signed by the NCAA Director General, Capt. Musa Nuhu, and issued on Thursday, read: “I wish 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/ATMD/501/C.104/XV/536 dated 1st December 2021. This withdrawal becomes effective on Sunday 12th December, 2021 at 2300z.

“Please kindly note, henceforth, Emirates Airlines is granted approval to operate only one weekly passenger frequency to Abuja on Thursdays.”

With the development, the Dubai-based carrier can only fly to Abuja once in a week.

READ: FG bans Emirates Airlines from flying into Nigeria

The decision by the NCAA followed the refusal of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to approve the three slots to Sharjar which Air Peace requested for.

Nigerian aviation stakeholders had queried the rationale behind the uneven agreement that gave Emirates so much latitude to fly into two major Nigerian airports while Air Peace was denied a request for just three flights and limited to Sharjar, on the outskirt of Dubai.

Nuhu, who clarified the withdrawal of Emirates schedule, said the decision by GCAA in Dubai not to grant equal rights to the sole Nigerian carrier, Air Peace, flying to Dubai via Sharjah, was discriminatory and unfair.

He regretted that despite the approval by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, granting Emirates Airlines 21 frequencies weekly to two major airports in Nigeria, GCAA refused to grant Air Peace three weekly frequencies to Sharjah, which the airline requested for and rather approved just one frequency weekly.

Nuhu assured that the government would continue to protect the Nigerian carrier.

He said: “The Nigerian Government was gracious to grant Emirates Airlines 21 frequencies it requested for. The airline wants to operate 14 weekly flights to Lagos and another seven weekly flights to Abuja airports.

“However, Air Peace only requested three weekly flights to Sharjah, not even Dubai airport, but the CAA refused the airline. The CAA only approved one weekly frequency to the airline.

“The only excuse they gave was that they don’t have enough slots. Where is the justice in this? That is capital flight out of Nigeria. Nigeria should protect its own.”