NCAA: Emirates Airline to resume flights to Nigeria soon

Emirates Airline to resume flights to Nigeria soon

News Agency if Nigeria

April 26, 2021 10:48 PM

The airline was banned in March over a COVID-19 test dispute.

Dubai-based Emirates airline has been involved in a dispute with the Nigerian government over COVID-19 testing for travellers [Business Economy]

Emirates Airline will soon resume its flight operations in and out of Nigeria, the Director-General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Musa Nuhu, said on Monday

Nuhu, while speaking at the national briefing of the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19 in Abuja, said that there were ongoing discussions with the airline and the outcome would be disclosed within the next 48 hours.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian government had in March 2021 banned the airline from operating in the country over its continuous refusal to fly passengers without a pre-boarding rapid diagnostic test (RDTs).

"As regards the issue of Emirates Airline's resumption of flight to Nigeria, the PSC deliberated extensively on this matter and the gap has been significantly closed between the position of Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)," he said.

Nuhu also said that the Port Harcourt and Enugu International Airports would soon resume international flights.

"Three airports, the Kano, Port Harcourt, and Enugu were declared by the PTF to resume international flights.

"Kano has resumed. Port Harcourt is almost there, just a few things to go and in the next couple of days; we expect Port Harcourt to be released for resumption of international flights.

"Hopefully, in a couple of weeks, Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, will join the list, making a total of five international airports that will resume international flights," he said.

News Agency if Nigeria