Olumide Ohunayo, ASG Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative said that the visa ban must be lifted before Emirates starts operation.
He made this assertion on Friday’s Edition of News Central Morning Show, Breakfast Central.
He said, “I doubt if Emirates Airline returning to Nigeria on October 1 will start without returning the Visa policy for Nigerians to fly because Emiratis don’t come to Nigeria, it is Nigerians that go there”.
‘Majority of Emirates Airline passengers (95 percent of passengers) are Nigerians. So they will need the Visa ban to be lifted for their operations to be successful’.
‘If they return, international fares will drop based on having more seats available for Nigerians to fly across different countries. that is another plus for us’.
In the past Emirates have 14 slots into Lagos and 7 slots into Abuja, that is 21 slots per week. It was difficult for Air Peace to get into the Emirates. If we are giving them free way to land at our Airports they must also give our flights like Air Peace free way to land in Dubai and UAE. This must be stated clearly on the Service agreement before October.
If they are having 21 slots in two cities, we should also have 21 slots in two of their cities. The visa ban must also be lifted.
The return of the Emirates Airline will bring more jobs to hotels, taxi drivers, baggage claimers and anyone with in the aviation economic system.