After Payments, Emirates Restores Flight Operations To Nigeria

After payments, Dubai-based flagship airline, Emirates Airlines, restores flight operations to Nigeria. 

Earlier announced suspension of flight operations from Sept. 1, due to inability to repatriate over $85m of its tickets sale.

Following the announcement, CBN released $265m out of foreign airlines’ blocked funds accumulated for the sale of flight tickets.

Central Bank of Nigeria have previously claimed that releasing the funds could crash its travel economy.

Emirates Airlines has reinstated its flight operations to Nigeria, nearly two weeks after announcing the suspension of flight operations into the country from September 1, due to its inability to repatriate over $85 million of its tickets sale.

According to an email sent to Peacock Travels and Royal AlmondTravels, a travel agents in Nigeria, the Dubai-based carrier would resume four-weekly flights to Nigeria, starting from 11th September 2022.

The notice read in part :

“We are pleased to inform you that effective from 11th September 2022, we will reinstate operations of our flights,”

“Inbound flights from Dubai to Lagos (EK783) and outbound flights from Lagos to Dubai (EK784) will recommence from Sunday, 11th September 2022.

“Lagos flights after 30th September 2022 will be advised in due course.”

Emirates, just like Delta Air Lines and British Airways, took the decision to suspend flights to Nigeria, linking the development to the inability to repatriate $85m ticket sales proceeds from the country.

Following the announcement, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) released $265m out of foreign airlines’ blocked funds accumulated for the sale of flight tickets, after previously claiming that releasing the funds could crash its travel economy.

• See Also : Dubai-based Emirates Cancels Flights In And Out Of Nigeria Over Trapped $85m