THE Nigerian government has explained that the restriction announced on Emirates Airline is as a result of the same treatment given to a Nigerian carrier – AirPeace - by the United Arab Emirates.

Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika, on Friday, rescinded the approval granted Emirates Airline to operate a Winter Flight schedule of 21 trips to two major airports in Nigeria: Lagos (14 flights) and Abuja (seven), barely eight days after the resumption of commercial flights between both countries which were grounded since March over COVID-19 testing.

Explaining the reason for the ban, Sirika said through a statement that Air Peace, the only Nigerian airline operating passenger flights to Sharjah International Airport in UAE, had requested for three weekly passenger flight frequencies but was granted only one passenger flight per week.

He noted that series of meetings with his General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) counterpart in the UAE on the sidelines of the ICAO Air Negotiation Conference (ICAN) in Bogota, Columbia, ended in a stalemate.

Meanwhile, in a travel update published on its website, Emirates Airline has indefinitely suspended flights between Nigeria and Dubai effective December 13, 2021, “until the UAE and Nigerian authorities work on a solution to the ongoing issue."

The denial of airport slots and frequencies at major airport terminals to Nigerian carriers appears to be a stealthy means devised by the UAE to prevent Nigerian airlines from flying into the country while its airlines enjoy unlimited opportunities in Nigeria.

In 2017, Medview Airlines was denied approval to operate into Terminal 1 of Dubai Airport on the excuse that there was no slot. In a similar manner, Virgin Nigeria, Bellview and Arik Air were also frustrated at some point.

However, referencing a letter from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) conveying the revised decision of the Nigerian government to Emirates Airline, the Minister of Economy –Chairman of the GCAA Board Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri - asked that the pronouncement be reviewed to “restore the approval of the Emirates Airline Winter schedule, as filed."

It stated that the case between Air Peace and the Sharjah International Airport authority was purely operational and should have no implications for Emirates Airline, explaining that it would be unreasonable for Air Peace, which initially operated in Sharjah Airport but later shifted to Dubai Airport, to expect to maintain their slots at the airport.

“The GCAA has the honour to highlight that such a decision by the NCAA is totally unjustified, especially as it has come to our attention that their action is being taken against the background of Air Peace not securing all three slots at Sharjah Airport which they desire,” the letter read in part.

It further advised Air Peace Airline to consider flying their two other flights to any other UAE airport at which there were available slots, and offered to give necessary support to the airline in this regard.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/explainer-why-nigeria-placed-restriction-on-emirates-airline/

I thought this DubaiExpo investment summit that the presidency attended would have soften the ground for mutually beneficial rship.

Well, when you make your country a great destination site, the world will throng to get slots in your airports.

Nigerian government needs to do more to make Nigerian aviation sector more viable.