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Emirates Airline Resumes Flight From Nigeria Five Months After Ban

Ololade Omosan-Agie

Emirates Airline will resume flights from Nigeria to Dubai as the United Arab Emirates authorities in Dubai have eased flight restrictions to Nigeria and other countries.

The airline announced on Instagram that it will begin flight operations into Nigeria among other countries on June 23.

The decision comes five months after the country restricted flights from Abuja and Lagos over antigen test requirements.

Emirates’ Lagos-Dubai and Abuja-Dubai services were initially suspended in February.

On March 18, Emirates Airline, via its official website, announced the suspension of flights to and from Nigeria until further notice over the Rapid Antigen Test.

The Rapid Antigen Test requires passengers from Nigeria enroute to Dubai to take the test four hours before boarding Emirates Airline.

The requirement contradicts the Federal Government Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test requiring Nigerians travelling out to take 72 hours before their flight.

Dubai authority however has relaxed the antigen requirement but said passengers from Nigeria “must have received a negative test result for PCR test taken within 48 hours before departure.”

The new protocol was approved by the Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management in Dubai.

“Passengers must present a negative test result for a PCR test taken within 48 hours before departure; UAE citizens are exempted.

“All passengers must undergo a PCR test on arrival at Dubai airport. Transit passengers should comply with entry protocols of final destination,” it added.

Emirates Airlines while confirming the development, revealed in a statement signed by its management that its flight operations to the affected countries will resume Wednesday.

It said, “Emirates welcomes the latest protocols and measures announced by Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management to allow the safe resumption of passenger travel from South Africa, Nigeria and India to Dubai. We look forward to facilitating travel from these countries and supporting various travellers’ categories.

“We will resume carrying passengers from South Africa, Nigeria and India in accordance with these protocols from 23rd June.

“We thank the Supreme Committee for their continuous efforts in monitoring the development of the situation and announcing the appropriate guidelines and protocols to protect the community and safeguard the travel sector.”

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