Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, says the return of Emirates will open more international destinations to local airlines.
Keyamo’s statement followed the return of Emirates, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) flag carrier, to Nigeria after two years.
Speaking on Wednesday in Lagos after arriving aboard an Emirates aircraft from UAE, Keyamo assured that the airline has returned to stay.
He also mentioned that the bilateral air service agreement (BASA) discussed was to secure the route for local operators.
Keyamo said, “With this, we have more competition on different international routes now. That is what it’s all about, to ensure a healthy competition.”
He further stated, “A healthy competition leads to competitive pricing for the benefit of the Nigerian people.”
Keyamo explained, “But you also know that why we fought for this, is that Dubai in particular, is a major hub of the world, it links virtually every country.”
Regarding code-sharing agreements, Keyamo said, “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 applauded President Bola Tinubu’s support in the agreement and return of the airline, stating that the relationship between the two countries has been restored.
“The relationship went downhill with visa suspension and suspension of their flights for Nigerians, it was especially damaging, because we know that Nigerians have a lot of investments in the UAE,” Keyamo said.
He continued, “They have a lot of interest and investments there so, eventually it was not an adventure in self-glorification, it was actually a fight for the people of Nigeria especially.”
Keyamo also mentioned, “We signed a new BASA defining our relationship altogether, again making it more healthy, more open and for the benefits especially of the Nigerian people.”
Emirates suspended flight operations to Nigeria in November 2022 due to its inability to repatriate $85 million revenue trapped in the country.
Keyamo announced on April 8, 2024, that Emirates confirmed resolution of the issues and readiness to resume flights.
On September 27, Nigeria and the UAE agreed on reciprocal rights ahead of Emirates Airlines’ resumption.
