BY BANYO TEMITAYO
THE United Arab Emirates has extended suspension of flights from Nigeria, from February 28 to March 10.
This, it said, included passengers travelling from Abuja and Lagos.
Aviation authorities of the UAE made this known in an updated travel protocol posted on Emirates Airline’s website on Sunday afternoon.
Emirates however said it remained committed to Nigeria and looked forward to resuming passenger services to Dubai for its customers “when conditions allow.”
The notice said, “In line with government directives, passenger services from Nigeria (Lagos and Abuja) to Dubai are temporarily suspended until 10 March 2021.
“Customers from both Abuja and Lagos will not be accepted for travel prior to or including this date. Passengers who have been to or connected through Nigeria in the last 14 days are not allowed entry into the UAE (whether terminating in or connecting through Dubai).
“Emirates flights from Dubai to Lagos and Abuja will continue to operate as per the normal schedule.
“We regret the inconvenience caused, and affected customers should contact their booking agent or Emirates call centre for rebooking.
“Emirates remains committed to Nigeria, and we look forward to resuming passenger services to Dubai for our customers when conditions allow.”
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority had suspended Emirates Airlines from operating flights out of Nigeria for violating safety directives issued by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
The NCAA had accused Emirates of airlifting passengers from Nigeria, using Rapid Antigen Tests (RDT) conducted by laboratories that were neither approved nor authorised.
This, according to a statement by the Director-General, NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu, violates Paragraph Five of a previous letter addressed to Emirates by the NCAA on February 2, 2021.
Owing to the violation, the Federal Government said Emirates Airlines would only be authorised to bring passengers into Nigeria, noting that outbound passengers were not authorised.
