Emirates Flight Resumption Will Open New Routes For Air Peace, Other Nigerian Airlines — Keyamo

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said that the resumption of Emirates Airlines will open new route opportunities for Nigerian airlines.

The minister also described the resumption of Emirates as a win for the Nigerian aviation sector.

Keyamo said these on Wednesday on touching down Lagos via the Emirates aircraft from the United Arab Emirates .

THE WHISTLER reported that Emirates resumed flight resumption on October 1, following series of diplomatic exchanges between the Nigerian and UAE authorities.

Reacting to the resumption after over two years, the minister assured that the airline has returned, adding that diplomatic ties between the UAE and Nigeria are on the right track.

He said, “With this, we have more competition on different international routes now. That is what it’s all about: to ensure healthy competition.

“A healthy competition leads to competitive pricing for the benefit of the Nigerian people. But you also know that the reason we fought for this is that Dubai, in particular, is a major hub of the world; it links virtually every country.

“For our airlines too, I can tell you that we also secured some kind of code-sharing agreement. We told them that if you want to code share, our airlines will have the right of first refusal.”

Keyamo linked the successful settlement of the Emirates dispute to the efforts of President Bola Tinubu.

Keyamo said the relationship between Nigeria and the UAE went vad after Emirates suspended operations over foreign exchange earnings that were trapped with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Keyamo said, “The relationship went downhill with the visa suspension and the suspension of their flights for Nigerians; it was especially damaging because we know that Nigerians have a lot of investments in the UAE.

“They have many interests and investments there, so eventually, it was not an adventure in self-glorification; it was actually a fight for the people of Nigeria, especially.

“We signed a new BASA defining our relationship altogether, again making it healthier, more open, and for the benefit of the Nigerian people.”