By John Ikani
Emirates Airlines will resume flights to Nigeria from June 23, five months after it banned outbound flights from its Abuja and Lagos destinations. This followed the withdrawal of the Rapid Antigen Test the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had insisted passengers from Nigeria travelling to Dubai must take four hours before boarding their flights.
The UAE antigen test requirement was against Nigeria’s policy that passengers travelling out of the country should conduct Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test 72 hours before their flight.
But on Saturday, UAE issued a statement conceding that Nigerian passengers that wished to travel to Dubai “must have received a negative test result for PCR test taken within 48 hours before departure.”
The statement posted on Instagram by the Dubai media office said the new regulation was part of measures aimed at easing inbound travel restrictions by Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management. The committee introduced new entry protocols for passengers effective June 23.
Also passengers must present a negative PCR test certificate with a OR code from laboratory approved by the Nigerian government, adding that all passengers must undergo a PCR test on arrival at the Dubai Airport. It, however, appealed to transit passengers to comply with entry protocols of final destinations.
Besides the new condition for Nigerian travellers, UAE has new regulations for passengers travelling from South Africa and India to Dubai.
For South Africa, the new rules stipulate that passengers should have received two doses of a vaccine approved by UAE authorities.
“Passengers must present a negative test result for a PCR test taken within 48 hours before departure; UAE citizens are exempted. All passengers must undergo a PCR test on arrival at Dubai airport. Transit passengers should comply with entry protocols of final destination,” the statement said.
For travellers from India, UAE said passengers should have received two doses of a vaccine approved by UAE authorities and passengers must have received a negative test result for PCR test taken within 48 hours before departure, in addition to the other conditions given to Nigeria and South Africa.
