Nigerian Government Suspends Emirates Indefinitely

Nigerian Government has again suspended inbound and outbound flights of Emirates Airlines.

Gatekeepers News reported that the suspension, which is the third in 2021, was confirmed in a statement issued on Monday by Emirates.

The airline said it remains committed to Nigeria and advised affected passengers to keep their ticket for future flights.

“In line with government directives, passenger flights to and from Nigeria (Lagos and Abuja) are suspended with effect from 21 June 2021 until further notice,” the statement reads.

“Customers travelling to and from Lagos and Abuja will not be accepted for travel. Customers who have been to or connected through Nigeria in the last 14 days are not permitted to board from any other point to the UAE.

“We regret the inconvenience caused, and affected customers should contact their booking agent or Emirates call centre for rebooking. Emirates remains committed to Nigeria, and we look forward to resuming passenger services when conditions allow.”

Gatekeepers News reports that the Federal Government of Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates had been engaging in diplomatic discussions over issues relating to COVID-19 protocol.

Emirates had in February, directed Nigerian travellers at the Lagos and Abuja airports to conduct rapid COVID-19 tests before departure, which led to a ban on its flights in Nigeria. The ban was later lifted after the airline agreed to stop the rapid antigen tests.

The Nigerian Government, however, reintroduced the ban on March 15, saying Emirates had continued to conduct rapid antigen tests for passengers before departure from Nigeria.