Nigeria’s federal government and the United Arab Emirates have reached an agreement on reciprocal flight rights, paving the way for Emirates Airlines to resume its Dubai-Lagos flight service on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.
This development also opens the door for Nigerian carrier Air Peace to reinstate its operations to the UAE, following its previous service on the route, according to ThisDay.
The agreement marks a significant step in enhancing air travel connectivity between the two countries.
This was the outcome of the meeting held yesterday in Dubai by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, with UAE aviation authorities, drawing a new Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between the two countries.
“Ahead of the resumption of Emirates flights to Nigeria next week Tuesday, I was in the UAE earlier today (yesterday), together with my technical team, for the negotiation of a new Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between both countries to guide our new relationship henceforth. Today, we firmly agreed on the reciprocal rights our local airlines will also have to begin flight operations to the UAE,” the minister said.
The minister’s media spokesman, Tunde Moshood explained in a statement that the minister led a high-level Nigerian delegation to the United Arab Emirates to finalize negotiations for the anticipated resumption of Emirates Airlines’ flight operations to Nigeria.
The meeting aimed to strengthen and establish mutually beneficial aviation ties between both countries.
“The Honourable Minister, accompanied by his technical team, engaged in constructive discussions with UAE aviation authorities, to ensure smooth reintroduction of Emirates Airlines into the Nigerian airspace next week Tuesday. The new BASA, which was a focal point of the talks, is designed to enhance collaboration between the two countries and establish guidelines for their evolving relationship in the aviation sector.
“Crucially, the negotiations also yielded a significant agreement on reciprocal rights, ensuring that Nigerian airlines will soon have the opportunity to commence direct flight operations to the UAE. This marks a historic development for Nigeria’s aviation industry, expanding international connectivity and offering more options to travelers between the two nations,” said the statement.
Commenting on the outcome of the meeting, the minister also said, “Today’s discussions reaffirm our commitment to fostering a balanced and forward-looking partnership with the UAE. We are pleased to have secured reciprocal operational rights for Nigerian airlines, which will not only deepen our bilateral ties but also strengthen the global competitiveness of Nigeria’s aviation industry. As Emirates returns to Nigeria, we look forward to a thriving and mutually beneficial air service relationship.”
