Federal Government has banned Middle East mega carrier; Emirates Airlines from commercial operation into Nigeria.
Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika explained late yesterday that the airline has been included in the list of airlines not allowed to operate in Nigeria as part of measures to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country.
Read Also: FG Bars Air France, Lufthansa, Etihad, KLM, Others
Sirika made this known via his Twitter handle and said the decision was taken after a meeting between members of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and European Union Ambassadors.
According to Sirika, the ban will take effect from Monday, September 21, 2020.
His tweet reads;
The PTF sub-committee met today with EU Ambassadors to discuss Lufthansa, Air France/KLM ban. The meeting progressed well. Emirates Airlines’ situation was reviewed and they are consequently included in the list of those not approved, with effect from Monday, September 21, 2020.
The PTF sub committee met today with EU Ambassadors to discuss Lufthansa, Air France/KLM ban. The meeting progressed well. Emirates Airlines’s situation was reviewed & they are consequently included in the list of those not approved, with effect from Monday the 21st Sept. 2020🇳🇬
— Hadi Sirika (@hadisirika) September 18, 2020
EU Ambassadors decided to meet with FG over European carriers, which Nigeria barred from operating into the country in accordance to its policy on COVID-19 protocols and diplomatic principles.
Read Also: FG To Reciprocate Travel Ban By EU Countries
FG before the reopening of international flight on September 5, 2020 made it clear that it would reciprocate the gesture of countries that barred Nigerians from their shores and has maintained the policy so far.
According to Emirates source who spoke to THISDAY, the reason why the FG took that decision was because the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had not yet started issuing visas to Nigerians, but that would be resolved before the Monday date when the ban would take effect.
Before the resumption of international flights in the country, FG had announced that Air France, KLM, Etihad, RwandAir, Air Namibia, Royal Air Maroc, Lufthansa, TAAG Angola Airlines were not granted approval to commence flight operations.
Cabo Verde and South African airlines were also denied approval as international flights had yet to resume in their countries.
Middle East Airline, British Airways, Delta, Qatar, Ethiopian Airlines, Emirates Airlines, Air Peace, Virgin Atlantic, Asky Airlines, Africa World Airways, Air Cote D’ Ivoire, Kenya Airways, EgyptAir, Turkish Airlines were all granted approval to resume operations in Nigeria.
EgyptAir, Virgin Atlantic, Turkish Airlines, Africa World Airways, Kenya Airways and Middle East Airlines were announced as the airlines permitted to use Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, while British Airways, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Africa World Airways and Middle East Airlines were granted approval to use Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
