Emirates Airlines has recommenced its daily flights between Dubai and Lagos after a hiatus of two years. The national airline of the United Arab Emirates, UAE, resumed its flight operations to Nigeria on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.
On Tuesday afternoon, as Nigerians celebrated 64 years of independence from British colonial rule, the airline’s flight landed at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, MMIA, in Lagos. According to air traffic controllers, the over eight-hour flight touched down at the airport at 3:32 pm.
Emirates Airlines halted its Dubai-Lagos flights in November 2022 due to challenges in repatriating funds from Nigeria during the diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
Nigeria and the UAE have a history of limiting flights between the two countries due to unresolved issues related to the Bilateral Air Services Agreement, BASA.
Visa restrictions emerged as diplomatic tensions continued between Nigeria and the UAE, which is a popular destination for Nigerian migrants and tourists.
However, in September 2023, President Bola Tinubu met with UAE President, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi, to improve diplomatic relations between the two countries.
As a result, in May 2024, Emirates Airlines announced the resumption of its daily Lagos-Dubai flights starting from October 1, 2024.
Two months later, the Federal Government of Nigeria reached an agreement with the UAE to allow Nigerian passport holders to obtain visas for travel to the Arab nation.