Passengers gearing up to board Emirates flight were on Monday disappointed as the Dubai’s flagship carrier postponed indefinitely the resumption of flights between the UAE and Nigeria.
In announcement by the UAE embassy on 19 June, the airline had slated resumption of flights for 23 June, under new COVID-19 rules.
But in a notice sent today to those who had booked its flights, Emirates now said it is suspending passenger flights to and from Abuja and Lagos indefinitely.
It blamed government directives for its volte face.
“Customers travelling to and from Lagos and Abuja will not be accepted for travel”, the airline said in the notice posted on its website.
“Customers who have been to or connected through Nigeria in the last 14 days are not permitted to board from any other point to the UAE.
“We regret the inconvenience caused, and affected customers should contact their booking agent or Emirates call centre for rebooking.
“Emirates remains committed to Nigeria, and we look forward to resuming passenger services when conditions allow”, the notice concluded.
Before the announcement by Emirates, the Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management in Dubai had on Saturday eased travel rules for inbound passengers arriving from India, South Africa and Nigeria.
