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Nigeria, UAE renegotiate air ties
The Nigerian government has concluded negotiations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to pave the way for the resumption of Emirates Airlines’ flight operations to Nigeria on October 1.
The agreement marks a significant milestone in the development of aviation ties between the two nations.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, led a technical team in constructive discussions with UAE aviation authorities to ensure a smooth reintroduction of Emirates Airlines into the Nigerian airspace.
The talks also laid the foundation for a new Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and the UAE, aimed at enhancing collaboration and establishing guidelines for their evolving relationship in the aviation sector.
A key outcome of the negotiations is the agreement on reciprocal rights, which will enable Nigerian airlines to commence direct flight operations to the UAE.
This historic development is expected to expand international connectivity and offer more options to travellers between the two nations.
The Minister said, “We are pleased to have secured reciprocal operational rights for Nigerian airlines, which will not only deepen our bilateral ties but also strengthen the global competitiveness of Nigeria’s aviation industry”.
“Today’s discussions reaffirm our commitment to fostering a balanced and forward-looking partnership with the UAE. As Emirates returns to Nigeria, we look forward to a thriving and mutually beneficial air service relationship.”
The agreement follows weeks of diplomatic and technical consultations aimed at restoring direct air travel between Nigeria and the UAE.
The Federal Government’s dedication to ensuring the best possible outcomes for both Nigerian and international travellers has been evident throughout the process.
Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ said recently, “We are excited to resume our services to Nigeria. The Lagos-Dubai service has traditionally been popular with customers in Nigeria and we hope to reconnect leisure and business travellers to Dubai and onwards to our network of over 140 destinations.
“We thank the Nigerian government for their partnership and support in re-establishing this route and we look forward to welcoming passengers back onboard. With the resumption of operations to Nigeria, Emirates operates to 19 gateways in Africa with 157 flights per week from Dubai, with further reach to an additional 130 regional points in Africa through its codeshare and interline partnerships with South African Airways, Airlink, Royal Air Maroc, Tunis Air, among others.’
He said that as a major economic hub in Africa, Nigeria and the UAE have built strong bilateral trade relations over the years, headlined by Lagos as the nation’s commercial centre.
With the resumption of daily passenger flights, the airline’s cargo arm, Emirates SkyCargo will further bolster the trade relationship by offering more than 300 tonnes of belly-hold cargo capacity, in and out of Lagos every week.
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