Emirates suspends flights to Nigeria over slots dispute – AirlineGeeks.com

Emirates suspends flights to Nigeria over slots dispute

Emirates last Friday announced the suspension of flight operations between Nigeria and Dubai amid an intensification of the slot allocation line between the Nigerian Ministry of Aviation and the General Authority of Civil Aviation of United Arab Emirates (GCAA), just a week after the country’s largest airline announced its resumption of flights to Abuja, Nigeria and Lagos, Nigeria.

The Dubai-based airline in the United Arab Emirates is once again suspending flights to and from Nigeria until the two countries resolve “the ongoing problem”, with the suspension taking effect from Monday.

Abdullah Bin Touq Al Marri – the chairman of the board of the GCAA and minister of the economy – signed a letter on December 10. In the letter, the GCAA called on the federal government to reinstate the UAE’s winter program.

The letter expressed sadness that the federal government removed the winter schedule because the UAE refused to allow Air Peace’s request for three flights per week to Al Sharjah, Sharjah Airport in the Emirates. United Arabs. The GCAA argued that Nigeria’s aviation ministry limiting Emirates flights to once a week was unjustifiable, while accusing Nigeria’s Air Peace of abandoning Sharjah airport, noting that the airport was functioning currently at 140% of its slot capacity.

“We would like to inform you that Sharjah Airport is currently operating at 140% of its slot capacity, but with goodwill and enormous effort on their part, this airport was able to accommodate Air Peace with one of three slots requested by this airline “, he added. letter said. “The GCAA wishes to stress that the actions taken by the NCAA are not in accordance with the spirit of the air services agreements reached between our two countries.”

“As we both know, the relationship between our two brotherly countries is old, one of the hallmarks being the recent visit of the President of Nigeria to the United Arab Emirates, which certainly reflected the state of positive relations. we suggest that Air Peace consider making its two flights to any airport in the United Arab Emirates where there are slots available. As planned, the GCAA will support Air Peace in this activity, where appropriate ”, adds the letter.

Air Peace Airlines, the only Nigerian airline to operate passenger flights to Sharjah International Airport in the United Arab Emirates, requested three weekly passenger flight frequencies and was awarded only one weekly flight.

The chairman of the GCAA attributed this action to the unavailability of arrival slots at Sharjah International Airport.

On the other hand, Emirates Airline has asked the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Aviation to approve its winter flight schedule, the requested schedule comprising 21 weekly frequencies of passenger flights to Nigeria, including two daily flights to Lagos, l Nigeria’s Murtala Mohammed Airport and a daily flight to Abuja, Nigeria’s Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport.

Captain Musa Nuhu – the chief executive of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) – explained that the reason the government pulled 20 Emirates flights, leaving the Middle East carrier with a flight to Abuja, was because that it was the same way the UAE treated Air Peace.

Air Peace had requested three flights per week, but authorities in the United Arab Emirates only approved one flight per week for the airline. The managing director – in accordance with the principle of reciprocity – mentioned that the Nigerian government should do the same for Emirates.

  • Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Victor’s love for aviation dates back to the age of 11. Living close to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, he developed a love for airplanes and he even remembers aspiring to be a future airline manager for Kenya Airways. He also has a passion for the arts and loves to write and had his own aviation blog before joining AirlineGeeks. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration at DeKUT and aspires to a career in a course more related to aviation.

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