Emirates To Suspend Nigeria Flights Effective September 1 

According to information gathered, many other foreign carriers are preparing to follow suit in light of the decision to withdraw from Nigeria.

By Omotayo Olutekunbi

Emirates Airlines has announced it will stop flying into Nigeria as of September 1, 2022, having lost faith in the Federal Government after numerous attempts to ensure it gets its trapped $85 million of the over $600 million funds that belonged to foreign carriers but got trapped in Nigeria failed.

The airline stated in a statement released to the media on Thursday morning: “Emirates has tried every avenue to address our ongoing challenges in repatriating funds from Nigeria, and we have made considerable efforts to initiate dialogue with the relevant authorities for their urgent intervention to help find a viable solution.

“Regrettably there has been no progress. Therefore, Emirates has taken the difficult decision to suspend all flights to and from Nigeria, effective 1 September 2022, to limit further losses and impact on our operational costs that continue to accumulate in the market.

“We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to our customers, however, the circumstances are beyond our control at this stage. We will be working to help impacted customers make alternative travel arrangements wherever possible.

“Should there be any positive developments in the coming days regarding Emirates’ blocked funds in Nigeria, we will of course re-evaluate our decision. We remain keen to serve Nigeria, and our operations provide much-needed connectivity for Nigerian travelers, providing access to trade and tourism opportunities to Dubai, and to our broader network of over 130 destinations.”

Since the federal government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have continued to exhibit a callous attitude toward the plight of the foreign carriers, all efforts made thus far by the foreign airlines to have their blocked funds repatriated to their home countries have met with a brick wall.

According to information gathered, many other foreign carriers are preparing to follow suit in light of the decision to withdraw from Nigeria.