Keyamo, who recently led a high-level Nigerian delegation to the UAE to finalise negotiations on the resumption of Emirates Airlines’ flights to Nigeria, said the new pact would be mutually beneficial, with interests of the local operators protected.
Recall that after two years of hiatus, Emirates Airlines began daily flight between Lagos and Dubai on October 1, as flight EK 783, its first from the UAE since 2022, touched down at Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA) at exactly 3:32 pm.
Keyamo, who addressed journalists at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, yesterday, said the development is a major win for the country and the air transport sector.
“It was one of the major things I stood my ground on, and if you look at the new one, it said ‘to any destination’. So nobody is going to have to say, ‘well, this is prime; this is not prime effort’. Our agreement with them is they fly to any destination; we fly to any destination in the UAE. So, it’s purely reciprocal in that respect,” Keyamo said.
The Aviation Minister confirmed that an agreement on code sharing was also reached. “We insisted that our airlines have the right of first refusal on any code-share offers from Emirates. As I speak, they are already in talks with several local operators.”
Keyamo added that the government identified “the UAE as a major and important partner, and country that we should restore our relationship with. The relationship went downhill before, you know, with the suspension of visas and suspension of their flights. For Nigerians, it was especially damaging because we know that Nigerians have a lot of interest and investments in the UAE.” He explained that defining “our relationship altogether again, making it more healthy, making it more open, and for the benefits, especially of the Nigerian people,” makes them happy.
This review, according to him, will foster healthy competition and lead to lower prices, benefiting Nigerian passengers. Keyamo also highlighted the impact of Emirates’ suspension, which led to fewer flight options and higher prices. “Other airlines took advantage of the situation by increasing their flight frequencies and ticket prices to Nigeria.” Stressing the importance of Dubai as a global hub, he said the resumption has made it easier for Nigerian travellers to connect to various destinations worldwide. “Dubai, in particular, is a major global hub. It connects virtually every country worldwide, making it a vital link for international travel. I have not seen any major country, and I use the word ‘major’ deliberately, that is not linked to Dubai,” he said.
