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Nigeria, UAE agree on reciprocal flight rights

Nigeria's federal government and the United Arab Emirates have reached an agreement on reciprocal flight rights, allowing Emirates Airlines to resume flights between Dubai and Lagos on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.

According to ThisDay, this development also opens the door for Nigerian carrier Air Peace to resume its service to the UAE, which it had previously provided.

The agreement represents a significant step toward improving air travel connectivity between the two countries.

This was the outcome of yesterday's meeting in Dubai between the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and UAE aviation authorities to draft a new Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between the two countries.

"Ahead of the resumption of Emirates flights to Nigeria next Tuesday, I was in the UAE earlier today (yesterday) with my technical team to negotiate a new Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between both countries to guide our new relationship moving forward. "Today, we firmly agreed on the reciprocal rights that our local airlines will have to begin flight operations to the UAE," the minister stated.

Tunde Moshood, the minister's media spokesman, said in a statement that the minister led a high-level Nigerian delegation to the United Arab Emirates to finalize negotiations for the expected resumption of Emirates Airlines' flights to Nigeria.

The meeting aimed to strengthen and develop mutually beneficial aviation ties between the two countries.

"The Honourable Minister, accompanied by his technical team, held constructive discussions with UAE aviation authorities to ensure the smooth reintroduction of Emirates Airlines into Nigerian airspace next Tuesday. The new BASA, which was the focal point of the discussions, is intended to improve collaboration between the two countries and establish guidelines for their evolving relationship in aviation.

"Crucially, the negotiations resulted in a significant agreement on reciprocal rights, ensuring that Nigerian airlines will soon be able to begin direct flight operations to the UAE. This is a historic development for Nigeria's aviation industry, increasing international connectivity and providing more options for travelers between the two countries," according to the statement.

Commenting on the meeting's outcome, the minister added, "Today's discussions reaffirm our commitment to fostering a balanced and forward-looking partnership with the UAE. We are delighted to have secured reciprocal operational rights for Nigerian airlines, which will not only strengthen our bilateral ties but also the global competitiveness of Nigeria's aviation industry. "As Emirates returns to Nigeria, we anticipate a thriving and mutually beneficial air service relationship."

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