By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
The major Emirati carrier, Emirates Airlines has announced plans to suspend flight operations to and from Nigeria.
Emirates decision is due to it’s trapped funds in Nigeria which the federal government has blocked as one of it’s measures to keep the volatile foreign exchange in check.
Emirates had earlier reduced the number of weekly flights to Nigeria from 11 to 7. This proposed suspension of all flights to Nigeria appears a last measure to compel the Nigerian authorities to unblock it’s funds.
Recall that Emirates Airlines in December 2021 announced an indefinite suspension of its flights to Nigeria as a retaliatory action over Nigeria’s reduction of its flights to UAE due to a diplomatic row that was going on between the two countries at the time.
It was also gathered that at least $600 million belonging to over 20 foreign airlines had been blocked in Nigeria since the beginning of the year.
Emirates said that out of these funds, it had about $85 million in Nigeria.
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In a statement by its media consultant in Nigeria, the airline alleged that all efforts to repatriate the funds had been futile. It said it was compelled to suspend all flights into the country.
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 will of course re-evaluate our decision. We remain keen to serve Nigeria, and our operations provide much needed connectivity for Nigerian travelers, providing access to trade and tourism opportunities to Dubai and to our broader network of over 130 destinations.”