Emirates Suspends All Flights To Nigeria From September Over Trapped $85m Revenue

Emirates Airlines announced the suspension of all its flights operation to Nigeria due to its inability to repatriate revenue from the country.

Emirates Arlines Supend All Flights To Nigeria

Last month, the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had asked the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika to support the repatriation of its revenue, amounting to $85 million.

In a statement on Thursday, August 18, Emirates said it would stop flights operations in and out of Nigeria starting from September 1, due to the inability to repatriate its earnings in foreign exchange from Nigeria.

The airline said the suspension would “limit further losses and reduce the impact on its operational costs that continue to accumulate in the Nigerian market”.

The statement reads: ”Emirates has tried every avenue to address our ongoing challenges in repatriating funds from Nigeria, and we have made considerable efforts to initiate dialogue with the relevant authorities for their urgent intervention to help find a viable solution.

”Regrettably, there has been no progress. Therefore, Emirates has taken the difficult decision to suspend all flights to and from Nigeria, effective September 1 2022, to limit further losses and impact on our operational costs that continue to accumulate in the market.

“We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to our customers, however, the circumstances are beyond our control at this stage. We will be working to help impacted customers make alternative travel arrangements wherever possible.

“Should there be any positive developments in the coming days regarding Emirates’ blocked funds in Nigeria, we remain keen to serve Nigeria, and our operations provide much-needed connectivity for Nigerian travellers, providing access to trade and tourism opportunities to Dubai, and to our broader network of over 130 destinations.”

ALSO READ: Nigeria’s Aviation Minster, Hadi Sirika Says Food Will No Longer Be Served On Domestic Flights