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Tag: Emirates Airlines

  • Why We Withdrew Frequencies Approval For Emirates Airlines – NCAA

    Why We Withdrew Frequencies Approval For Emirates Airlines – NCAA

    The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has explained why it withdrew the ministerial approval granted to Emirates Airlines by the Ministry of Aviation.

    Director-General of the NCAA, Musa Shuaibu Nuhu, in a statement on Friday said that it withdrew the approval following the refusal of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to grant equal rights to the sole Nigerian carrier, Air Peace flying to Dubai via Sharjah.

    An airline frequency refers to how many services an airline may provide within a set period, usually on shorter routes between two large urban destinations.

    Nuhu explained that the aviation minister, Sen. Hadi Sirika had granted Emirates Airlines 21 frequencies weekly to two major airports in Nigeria; Lagos, 14 and Abuja, seven.

    He, however, explained that despite the approval, the GCAA refused to grant Air Peace three weekly frequencies to Sharjah, which the airline requested for, but rather approved just one frequency weekly.

    According to him, the GCAA had attributed its refusal to grant the three frequencies to the airline to inadequate slots in the Sharjah airport, stressing that the government would continue to protect Nigeria’s businesses.

    The withdrawal is expected to take effect from December 12, allowing Emirates Airlines to fly into Abuja just once weekly on Thursdays, while its Lagos flight has been suspended.

  • FG Suspends Outbound Emirates Airlines Flights For Three Days

    FG Suspends Outbound Emirates Airlines Flights For Three Days

    he Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has suspended outbound flights of Emirates Airlines from Nigeria for 72 hours.

    This directive was given by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 as contained in a circular issued on February 4, stating that the suspension followed a violation of guidelines given by the task force.

    The airline was accused of airlifting passengers from Nigeria who used rapid antigen tests done at laboratories not approved by regulatory bodies.

    The circular read, “Based on the foregoing and to enable the Nigerian government to put in place the needed infrastructure and logistics for COVID-19 RDT testing for departing passengers, the PTF has directed that Emirates Airlines should either accept passengers without RDT pending when the infrastructure and logistics are put in place or suspend its flights to and from Nigeria until such a time when the required infrastructure and logistics are fully established and implemented.

    “Emirates Airlines has not been in compliance with the two options given by the PTF as records obtained from Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) indicates that Emirates Airlines operated the flights from both Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.”