After a two-year absence, Emirates Airlines has resumed flights to Nigeria, with its aircraft landing at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Tuesday. The airline had suspended operations in August 2022 after $85 million in revenues were blocked by the Nigerian government due to a foreign exchange shortage.
As of this report, those funds have been successfully repatriated.
The airline’s return followed a series of diplomatic discussions between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates. Last Friday, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, led a high-level delegation to the UAE to finalize negotiations, clearing the way for Emirates’ resumption of services. The meeting also resulted in a new Bilateral Air Service Agreement, aimed at strengthening aviation ties between the two countries for mutual benefit.
