By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
Apparently to alleviate the sufferings of its teeming customers who have been affected adversely by the long ban on its operation in Nigeria, Emirates Airline has concluded arrangements to resume its daily flights operation from Sunday,
December 5, 2021.
The Federal Government through the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika had last Friday at a Press Conference announced that government has lifted the nine months ban placed on the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-owned Airline after the stringent conditions put by the Emirates Airlines against Nigerians were removed.
Sirika said the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 had been working tirelessly to achieve this feat and the letter from Emirates Airlines agreeing to the change in stringent conditions came in last Friday.
Also speaking at the briefing, the National Incident Manager of the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, Dr Mukhtar Muhammad, said the negotiation was for the best of the country and both Nigeria and UAE did what could protect their citizens.
Prompt News Online can authoritatively report that the management of Emirates Airline in Nigeria have finalized arrangements to resume flights operation in the country as the offices of the airline in Lagos and Abuja have opened for business.
It was also gathered that the management of Emirates Airline have already contacted the relevant Nigerian aviation authorities for allocation of counters at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos from where the airline operate two flights daily before the ban was slammed by the government.
However, it is expected that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) would have given the airline all clear to resume its flights operation which has been slated for December 5.
It would be recalled that the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Engr. Musa Nuhu, had said Emirates Airline will resume its flight operations in and out of Nigeria soon.
Flights resumption from Nigeria to UAE, if really it becomes effective, will bring a great relief for Nigerian citizens living in the UAE who are bearing the brunt of the imbroglio between UAE and Nigerian government for the past nine months.