Nigerians Still Welcomed To UAE, As It Extends Suspension Of Flights To March 10

UAE extends suspension of flights from Nigeria (Lagos and Abuja) from February 28 to March 10.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has extended the suspension of flights from Nigeria (Lagos and Abuja) from February 28 to March 10, 2021.

The UAE aviation authorities disclosed in the updated travel protocol posted on the website of the Emirates Airline, the flag carrier of the UAE.

The update read :

“In line with government directives, passenger services from Nigeria (Lagos and Abuja) to Dubai are temporarily suspended until 10 March 2021.

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“Customers from both Abuja and Lagos will not be accepted for travel prior to or including this date. Passengers who have been to or connected through Nigeria in the last 14 days are not allowed entry into the UAE (whether terminating in or connecting through Dubai).

“Emirates flights from Dubai to Lagos and Abuja will continue to operate as per the normal schedule.

“We regret the inconvenience caused, and affected customers should contact their booking agent or Emirates call centre for rebooking. Emirates remains committed to Nigeria. We look forward to resuming passenger services to Dubai for our customers when conditions allow.”

Reports gathered that Emirates suspended its flights a few days. This is after the Federal Government sanctioned the airline over the introduction of rapid antigen test as a requirement for Dubai travelers. Meanwhile, this is against the Nigerian negative PCR requirements.

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The Federal Government through the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)  banned Emirates Airlines’ operations in Nigeria for violating COVID-19 protocols.

Director-General of the NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu, had announced the ban on February 4, 2021.

The NCAA said the ban came due to continued airlift of passengers from Nigeria using the Rapid Antigen Tests (RDT). These are tests conducted by laboratories that are “neither approved nor authorized by the appropriate regulatory.”

This, according to the apex aviation regulatory authority is in flagrant violation of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 directive.

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