….Emirates Airline to resume operations soon
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) government has granted Nigeria’s carrier, Air Peace Airline, the approval to operate a direct flight to and from Dubai.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, made this known on Sunday at the end of the 2023 Dubai Airshow in the UAE.
During the show, Keyamo visited the pavilions of leading aviation and aerospace industries to inspect technologies that could be of use in driving his Five Point Agenda for the aviation industry in Nigeria.
The Aviation minister also revealed that Emirates Airlines, which stopped operations in the country due to its inability to repatriate dollars earned in the country home, also announced its readiness to commence direct flights to Nigeria.
In a statement, Odutayo Oluseyi, the Head of Press and Public Affairs in the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, stated that the declaration was made by Keyamo after meeting with the airline officials at the just-concluded Dubai Airshow in the UAE.
“Using the opportunity of the Airshow, the Honourable Minister on the sidelines met with officials of Emirates Airline to further discuss the resumption of flights by the Airline to Nigeria which has yielded positive results as the management has given assurance that the resumption of the flight would commence very soon,’’ he said in the statement.
Oluseyi also noted in the statement that the minister also met with the management of the Airline Executive, led by its CEO, Dana Hatcic, a company that indicated interest in establishing an MRO facility in Nigeria.
He stated further that the minister expressed the possibility of a maiden edition of the Nigeria Air Show sometime in November 2024, adding that Nigeria will be the first African country to organize such an event.
Keyamo also visited the pavilions of leading aviation and aerospace industries in the world to inspect modern technologies that could be of use in driving his 5- 5-Point agenda for the aviation industry in Nigeria, particularly the improvement of infrastructure and promotion of innovation and creativity in cutting-edge technologies relating to civil aviation.
The Dubai Airshow commenced on 13 November and concluded on 17 November. The event attracted a considerable number of participants from around the world, including leading aviation and aerospace industry specialists.
Recall that the Emirates Airines had in November 2022, announced the suspension of flights to Nigeria following its inability to repatriate its revenue from the country amidst the lingering scarcity of forex in the country.
