Tuesday marked a significant milestone for Nigeria’s aviation sector as Emirates Airlines made its return to Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos after a two-year hiatus.
Notably, the flight was piloted by Mohammed Madugu, a Nigerian-born pilot, highlighting both the airline’s comeback and the achievements of local talent in the industry.
Madugu shared a video of his landing at MMIA on Tuesday, expressing his excitement with a caption on his X page, stating “A great plane spotter got my landing into lagos today. Landed off an RNAV approach today as the ILS was on test. Watching this video you’ll realize the amount of work the Emirates training department does on their pilots. Alhamdulillah.”
He expressed that it was an honour to operate the inaugural return flight to Lagos, highlighting the significance of the moment for both himself and the aviation industry.
“A very special day for me today, I have the honor of operating our inaugural return flight to Lagos, Nigeria 🇳🇬 @LOSairport . Today I’ll be flying both the Emirates and Nigerian flag very high 🇦🇪 🇳🇬 ! Thank you, Emirates A flight time of slightly over 8hours today. #EkoOniBaje,” he posted.
In 2016, Madugu made headlines as the youngest captain in the Nigerian airline industry while working with Azman Airline. His early achievements underscore his impressive career trajectory in aviation.
Born on September 21, 1996, Madugu hails from Kano and is the son of Alhaji Sani Madugu. His background and achievements reflect a strong connection to his roots in Nigeria.
In a 2016 interview with Daily Trust, Madugu shared that his passion for flying began at the age of six or seven when he had the chance to explore an aircraft cockpit. This early exposure, he said fueled his dream of becoming a pilot.
“It all started a very long time ago. When I was between six and seven years, we were flying to Kano for Sallah, as we usually do every Sallah. We got to Kano and my father took me to the cockpit of the aircraft. I think he knew the pilot or something and I was amazed seeing the cockpit, that is all I can remember. But that day, going into the cockpit really blew my mind.”
Emirates previously operated flights to Lagos and Abuja until September 30, 2022, when it suspended operations due to difficulties in repatriating over $80 million in trapped funds.
Emirates Airlines resumed passenger flights to Nigeria on Monday marking its first flight from the UAE since 2022.
This return follows the resolution of a two-year hiatus due to concerns over trapped funds in Nigeria.
