The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has hailed the return of Emirates Airlines to Nigeria after a two-year hiatus, stating that the move will unlock new route opportunities for indigenous carriers and foster healthy competition in the aviation sector.
Keyamo made the remarks upon arrival aboard an Emirates aircraft from the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday in Lagos.
The minister assured that the airline has returned to stay and that the Bilateral Air Service Agreement discussed was to secure the route for local operators.
He noted that local carriers now have the opportunity to fly to any destination in the UAE.
He said, “With this, we have more competition on different international routes now. That is what it’s all about: to ensure healthy competition.
“A healthy competition leads to competitive pricing for the benefit of the Nigerian people.
“But you also know that the reason we fought for this is that Dubai, in particular, is a major hub of the world; it links virtually every country.
“For our airlines too, I can tell you that we also secured some kind of code-sharing agreement. We told them that if you want to code share, our airlines will have the right of first refusal.”
Keyamo applauded the support of President Bola Tinubu in the agreement and the return of the airline, saying that the relationship between the two countries has been restored.
“The relationship went downhill with the visa suspension and the suspension of their flights for Nigerians; it was especially damaging because we know that Nigerians have a lot of investments in the UAE.
“They have many interests and investments there, so eventually, it was not an adventure in self-glorification; it was actually a fight for the people of Nigeria, especially.
“We signed a new BASA defining our relationship altogether, again making it healthier, more open, and for the benefit of the Nigerian people,” he said.
The airline had suspended flight operations two years ago owing to trapped funds in Nigerian coffers.
NAN reports that the official delegation onboard was led by Adil Al Ghaith, the airline’s Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations for the Gulf, Middle East, and Central Asia; David Broz, Senior Vice President of Aeropolitical and Airline Industry Affairs; and Sami Aqil Abdullah, Senior Vice President of Emirates Airport Services Outstation and Business Support.
NAN