In a meeting which took place in Abu Dhabi on Monday has resulted in the immediate cessation of the visa ban placed on Nigerian travelers.

This development will now allow Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines to immediately resume flight schedules into and out of Nigeria.

As negotiated between the two Heads of State, this immediate restoration of flight activity, through these two airlines and between the two countries, does not involve any immediate payment by the Nigerian government.

In recognition of President Tinubu’s economic development diplomacy drive and proposals today presented by President Tinubu to his counterpart, an agreed framework has been established, which will involve several billions of U.S. dollars worth of new investments into the Nigerian economy across multiple sectors, including defense, agriculture and others, by the Government of the United Arab Emirates.

Tinubu during the meeting expressed gratitude to UAE President for his unalloyed friendship and his determined effort to join hands with him to fully normalize and reset to excellence.

The post Breaking: UAE Lifts Visa Ban On Nigerians After Meeting Tinubu appeared first on Daily Dates Nigeria.

This is coming as more foreign airlines have also hinted at reviewing their future operations in the country, based on the final outcome of the recent intervention by the House of Representatives.

Emirates, in an official memo to the Ministry of Aviation in early October, had notified that barring repatriation of about 80 per cent of its accumulated funds in Nigeria by month-end, it would suspend operations by October 29.

The Guardian learnt that the ‘commercial decision’ to stop Lagos and Abuja operations was hastened by the recent visa ban on Nigerians travelling to Dubai, coupled with the alleged nonchalance of the Central Bank Nigeria (CBN) to defray trapped funds.

Travel agencies yesterday regretted the “avoidable development”, saying Nigerian travellers would have more difficulties reaching other parts of the world without Emirates.

About two months after CBN intervened in the trapped fund’s crisis, with the release of $264 million out of $465 million, there has been no reprieve as the foreign airlines’ monies in Nigeria continue to accumulate and are now in excess of $500 million.

The funds are proceeds of international flight tickets that had been sold in naira but starved of foreign exchange (dollars) equivalent to repatriation to the airlines’ home countries.

Following the protest by travel agencies, the House of Representatives, a fortnight ago, summoned the Ministry of Aviation and CBN to a round-table with operators, as part of measures to release trapped funds in the country and make flight tickets affordable.

Though CBN had said the foreign airlines were not its priority, the meeting ended with an agreement to release another batch of $150 million to the airlines. Some of the airlines, however, said such interventions have not helped their cause.

A top official said: “Some of us have not received any of the released funds as we speak. Yes, they promised $265 million then, I’m aware only a fraction has been released. It seems CBN is just trying to buy time, while our monies continue to increase.

International Air Transport Association (IATA) Regional Manager, Dr Samson Fatokun, earlier said the stranded fund scenario was quite embarrassing for the country, by having in its possession 36 per cent of all stranded funds globally.

Fatokun noted that the current problem did start in March 2020 with $700 million stranded in Nigeria, until $265 million was released.

The post Emirates, Others To Leave Nigeria Over $500m Trapped Funds appeared first on Daily Dates Nigeria.

The flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) disclosed this in a statement, blaming its decision on the inability to repatriate its earnings in foreign exchange from Nigeria.

This is coming about three weeks after the airlines appealed to the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, to support the repatriation of its revenue said to be $85 million.

Nigeria is facing a forex exchange crisis and this has also affected the nation’s local currency — Naira — to depreciate against the dollar.

In a letter addressed to the minister and signed by Sheik Majid Al Mualla, Emirates airline’s Divisional Senior Vice-President (DSVP), International Affairs, Emirates said the planned reductions in its operations in Nigeria would take effect from August 15, 2022.

It stated that flights would be reduced from 11 per week to seven per week at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

“We have had no choice but to take this action, to mitigate the continued losses Emirates is experiencing as a result of funds being blocked in Nigeria,” the airlines said.

“As of July 2022, Emirates has US$ 85 million of funds awaiting repatriation from Nigeria. This figure has been rising by more than $US 10 million every month, as the ongoing operational costs of our 11 weekly flights to Lagos and 5 to Abuja continue to accumulate.”

The post Emirates Suspends All Flights To Nigeria appeared first on Daily Dates Nigeria.

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The development was contained in a statement made available on Friday night by the NCAA’s Director-General, Capt. Musa Nuhu.

The DG recalled that the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 was made aware of the requirements by Emirates airlines and KLM for passengers travelling from Nigeria on their flights to Dubai and Amsterdam.

Nuhu noted that they were to undergo an RDT four hours from the time of flight departure.

“This requirement is in addition to the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test done 72 hours from the date of departure by passengers.

“The implementation of the additional requirement by the two airlines was commenced without the prior notification or approval of the PTF and other regulatory bodies in the country.

“This led to the provision of RDT testing by organisations and laboratories that have not been approved by the PTF and other regulatory agencies for RDT at or around our international airports in Lagos and Abuja.

“Until such a time when the required infrastructure and logistics have been put in place for RDT by the government.

However, Emirates Airlines continued its operations requiring passengers to carry out the RDT test six hours from the time-of-flight departure from the country.

Nuhu said Emirates Airlines on Feb. 5 informed the NCAA in writing that the UAE government had given the airline approval to suspend the pre-departure RDT requirement for passengers traveling on their flight to Dubai.

“Consequent upon the foregoing, the PTF directed the NCAA to lift the suspension placed on Emirates Airlines flights into Nigeria with effective from Feb. 5.

“The public is hereby informed as follows: Emirates Airlines no longer requires passengers to carry out pre-departure RDT.

“No laboratory has been approved by the PTF and other regulatory agencies to carry out RDT for incoming or departing passengers.

“The PTF will inform all Nigerians of any change(s) to the above,” he said.

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