Nigeria/UAE aviation row renews, as FG suspends Emirates’ 21 frequencies into Lagos, Abuja

[By VICTOR NZE]

Barely two weeks after resolving the longstanding dispute over Covid-19 travel protocols stipulated for arriving passengers from Nigeria, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) refusal to issue visa to Nigerians over ‘discriminatory’ regulations, Nigeria has now withdrawn an earlier 21 special frequencies granted to the Gulf nation’s carrier, Emirates Airlines, into the country.

The development may also see Federal Government and the UAE renew hostilities which had seemed resolved on the back of ‘discriminatory’Covid-19 travel protocols prescribed on arriving passengers from both countries.

The Federal Ministry of Aviation had granted Emirates Airlines increased frequencies into the country’s major hubs, as it raised the operational frequencies to combined total of 21 into both the Lagos and Abuja airports.

However, surprisingly, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika announced withdrawing the special grant given to the Emirates Airlines into Nigeria’s two major international hubs of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, for undisclosed reasons.

Explaining the latest impasse between both countries, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has said that the latest decision by the Federal Government to withdraw the ministerial approval granted to Emirates Airlines by the Federal Ministry of Aviation for increased frequencies was informed by the Gulf nation’s failure to reciprocate Nigeria’s gesture.

NCAA, through its Director General, Capt. Musa Nuhu, Saturday, also said the new frequency restriction takes effect from December 12, this year.

Following the withdrawal, the Emirates Airlines can now only fly once into Abuja on Thursdays, while its Lagos flights are suspended.

Briefing the journalist on the issue, Capt. Musa Nuhu said Nigeria withdrew the approval following the refusal of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of UAE to grant the same right to the only Nigerian carrier, Air Peace flying to Dubai via Sharjah.

Captain Nuhu explained that Senator Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation had granted Emirates Airlines 21 frequencies weekly to two major airports in Nigeria, Lagos (14) and Abuja, (7).

According to Nuhu, the GCAA had attributed its refusal to grant the three frequencies to Air Peace to inadequate slots in Sharjah airport, stressing that the government would continue to protect Nigeria’s businesses.

“The Nigerian Government was gracious to grant Emirates Airlines 21 frequencies it requested for. The airline wants to operate 14 weekly flights to Lagos and another seven weekly to Abuja airports.

“However, Air Peace only requested for three weekly flights to Sharjah, not even Dubai airport, but the GCAA refused the airline. The GCAA only approved one weekly frequency to the airline. The only excused they made was that they don’t have enough slots. Where is the justice in this? That is capital flight out of Nigeria. Nigeria should protect its own,” Nuhu said.

NCAA had in a letter with the reference number: NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/329, dated December 9, 2021 with the head: ‘Withdrawal of Ministerial Approval of Emirates Airlines Winter Schedule,’ and signed by Nuhu to the Country Manager, Emirates Airlines withdrew the initial approval granted the airline.

The letter read: “I write to inform you of the withdrawal of the approval granted to Emirates Airlines winter schedule. This approval was conveyed via a letter with reference number FMA/ATMO/501/C.104/XV/356 dated 1st December 2021. The withdrawal becomes effective on Sunday 12th December 2021 at 2300hr.

 “Please kindly note, henceforth Emirates Airlines is granted approval to operate only one weekly passenger frequency to Abuja on Thursdays”.

The ding-dong diplomatic row between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the aviation sector over sanctions on flight operations of Emirates Airlines following denial of visas to Nigerians based on ‘discriminatory’ Covid-19 protocols, was believed to have been resolved in September, this year until the Federal Government again slammed another ban on Dubai operations of the Gulf nation’s carrier from the country.

The Nigeria/UAE stand-off began in February over differences in Covid-19 protocols at both countries’ airports, as flight restrictions were placed both ways on airlines’ operations into each country.

The sanctions followed the UAE directive to its national carrier, Emirates Airlines to impose additional COVID-19 test protocols on passengers arriving from Nigeria.

However, last September, the Federal Government announced clearing Emirates Airlines to resume international flights into Nigeria following the resolution of visa disagreement between both countries.

The UAE-based carrier was then cleared to resume international flights into Nigeria following the resolution of visa disagreement between both countries.

Ministry of Aviation had said the decision was based on the undertaking by the authorities of the UAE and the Nigerian government having ‘agreed to lift the ban placed on Emirates Airlines from operating into and out of the country.’

According to Hadi Sirika, Minister of Aviation, the commencement of the Emirates’ operations would, however, depend on the commencement of visa issuance by the UAE authorities to Nigerians.

“UAE has written to state that they agree to issue visas to Nigerians, consequently decision has been reached to allow Emirates to fly into Nigeria. Commencement of the Visa issuance is condition precedent. Please bear with this unusual situation,” the minister said.

Sirika appreciated the understanding of everyone who has been negatively affected by the recent policy decisions which forbade some airlines from operating into the country when Nigeria reopened its air space to international flights.

The decisions, he said, were ‘taken to protect the interests of the nation and its citizens who deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, same Nigeria treats other nationals.’

It would be recalled that prior to the resumption of international operations on September 5, 2020 after the air lockdown over Covid-19 pandemic, the Federal Government had approved only 10 foreign airlines to fly into the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.

Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika who gave the names of airlines during a briefing of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, said only the 10 are permitted to commence flight operations when the country opens its commercial airspace from September 5, 2020.

The minister listed the airlines as; British Airways (BA); Delta Air Lines; Emirates, Qatar, AWA, Kenya Airways and Middle East Airlines, as carriers permitted to operate into the Lagos airport.

While he also listed British Airways, Emirates, Egypt Air, Ethiopian Airlines, African World Airlines (AWA), and Middle East Airlines and Turkish Airlines as international carriers allowed into the Abuja airport.

However, barely a week after commencement of flights, the Federal Government barred Emirates from flying into the country following its refusal to grant visas to Nigerians travelling into that country, leading to the cancellation of the airline’s permit into Nigeria’s airspace as response.

The UAE government had in February suspended the pre-departure Rapid Antigen Test (RDT), which was the major issue that led to the ban instituted by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19 to direct the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to ban all Emirates Airline airlifting of Lagos and Abuja Passengers for 72 hours.

However, after the UAE stopped the pre-RDT tests, the PTF directed the NCAA to lift the suspension placed on Emirates Airlines flights into Nigeria with effective from 5th February 2021.

Since then, it has been back and forth sanction galore between both countries first suspended in March, but only for two weeks, and then resumed till September, this year, when it was halted again.

However, on Friday, November 26, the Federal Government lifted the sanctions placed on Emirates Airlines’ Dubai-Lagos/Abuja flight operations.

According to the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika who disclosed this, the decision was taken after the UAE-based carrier relaxed some of the conditions it had imposed on Nigerian travellers, adding that the development was the outcome of lengthy negotiations between the government of Nigeria and its UAE counterpart.

“Today, we received communications from Emirates removing some of the conditions for travelling for which we had concerns.

“Having done that, it is necessary to lift the ban on Emirates. This subsequent lifting of ban is a product of lengthy negotiations between us and them,’’ Sirika said.