By Emmanuel Nduka
The Nigerian Government in a reciprocal move on Thursday, reduced Emirates flight into the country, from daily to once weekly.
This would be only on Thursdays.
The move comes after the decision of the Government of the United Arabs Emirates (UAE) to cut Nigeria’s Air Peace flight operations to Sharjah to once a week.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) announced the decision of the Nigerian Government in a letter titled: “Withdrawal of Ministerial Approval of Emirates Airlines Winter Schedule, dated December 9, 2021 and addressed to the Country Manager, Emirates Airlines Nigeria.”
“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 at 2300Z.
“Please, kindly note, henceforth Emirates Airlines is granted approval to operate only one weekly passenger frequency to Abuja on Thursdays. Please be guided accordingly,” the letter signed by the Director General of NCAA, Captain Musa Nuhu read
It would be recalled that Emirates Airlines last Sunday, operated flights to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to kick off its return to daily flights to the two Nigerian cities.
A letter addressed to Air Peace on the matter stated: “Greetings from Sharjah Airport. This has reference to your earlier request that we have received from your side to resume scheduled operations into Sharjah Airport for the winter season W21/22.
“Kindly note that the proposed timings were coordinated with the various stakeholders at Sharjah Airport, despite the terminal congestion and various challenges that will be faced, and with the best intentions we kept in mind our long business relationship we enjoy with Air Peace.
“As such we are pleased to propose the following timings: Once weekly flight every Thursday (day 4) with arrival time at Sharjah to be STA 01:00 UTC, and departure time from Sharjah will be STD 05:00 UTC.
“We will be looking closely in the near future for any potential opportunities for Air Peace for the upcoming summer season S22.”
Before the Nigerian Government suspended Emirates flights in February this year, the airline was operating two flights to Lagos daily and one flight a day to Abuja, which made it 21 weekly flights to Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Air Peace had stopped flying to the city when it became clear that its passengers would be made to conduct about three COVID-19 tests on arrival in the UAE at their own expense, thus making the flights very expensive for its passengers.
Subsequently, after the UAE removed the Rapid Antigen Test for Nigerian travellers, the Nigerian Government lifted the ban on the airline. But according to sources in the NCAA, the UAE might not want Air Peace to operate to Dubai, while Emirates had already scheduled to resume flights to Nigeria on December 5.
The NCAA source hinted that the Director-General of NCAA had withdrawn from the first meeting that was to be held between Nigeria and UAE over the resumption of flights to both countries, when he learnt that Air Peace was not invited for that meeting. It was however rescheduled and the Nigerian carrier was in attendance.
THISDAY reported that in tandem with the policy of reciprocity of the Nigerian Government, the NCAA had resisted all attempts to marginalise the Nigerian carrier by denying it slot to operate to UAE, a policy that was lacking in the past, which led to the short-changing of Nigerian carriers.
