Coronavirus: Emirates suspends operations in Nigeria till further notice

In accordance to the Nigerian government’s health directives, suspension of all Emirates flights to and from Nigeria took effect on the midnight of Wednesday, March 17, 2021; till further notice.

Earlier this week, Boss Mustapha, Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 (PTF), stated that there is a temporary ban on the operations of the Airline due to it continuous refusal to fly passengers without a pre-boarding rapid diagnostic test (RTD’s).

However, in a statement by Emirates reacting to the ban, it stated, “Emirates remains in close dialogue with the relevant regulators and authorities in Nigeria and we are fully committed to making progress on a resolution to ensure the continuation and expansion of our operations.

“Our highest priority continues to be the health and safety of our customers, employees, and the communities we serve both in Nigeria and across our network.”

As previously reported by CAPA, Emirates’ Lagos-Dubai and Abuja-Dubai services were initially suspended in Feb-2021 while outbound flights to Nigeria continued to operate as scheduled.

During the briefing on Monday, Hadi Sirika, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, indicated that KLM and Emirate airlines, at the time that the country resumed flights, made demands that there would be PCR test for passengers within 72 hours of their flight and there will also be antigens rapid test at the airport and also a PCR test on arrival in their countries.