UAE grants Nigeria full access to airports – Keyamo

• Published On: 04 October 2024 at 19:38

Festus Keyamo, Nigeria's Minister of Aviation, has announced a new Bilateral Air Service Agreement with the United Arab Emirates, which grants Nigerian airlines full access to all UAE airports.

In exchange, UAE airlines, including Emirates, will gain unrestricted access to Nigerian airports.

Keyamo made the announcement during a press conference to commemorate Emirates Airlines' return to Nigeria, according to Channels TV.

Keyamo emphasised the importance of the agreement, saying, "The first thing we did when we went to negotiate a new Bilateral Service Agreement was to secure the route for our local operators." If you look at the new BASA, it says any destination. Our agreement is that they fly to any destination in Nigeria while we fly to any destination in the UAE. So it's strictly reciprocal in that regard."

Under the new agreement, Nigerian airlines will be able to fly to major UAE airports such as Dubai International (DXB), Abu Dhabi International (AUH), Sharjah International (SHJ), Al Maktoum International (DWC), and Ras Al Khaimah International (RKT). Once the arrangement is fully operational, Nigerian carriers will have a significant number of new opportunities.

Keyamo stated that the landmark agreement aims to strengthen Nigeria's aviation sector, increase competition, and potentially lower airfares, resulting in more travel options for Nigerian passengers.

The minister also revealed that the new BASA agreement gives Nigerian airlines first refusal on any potential code-sharing agreements with UAE carriers, particularly Emirates Airlines.

This ensures that Nigerian operators have the first opportunity to form partnerships before other airlines do.

"We told them that if they want to code-share, our airlines should have the right of first refusal because there will be a lot of code-sharing in this respect," Keyamo told me.

Code-sharing is an arrangement in which two or more airlines share the same flight, allowing passengers to book seats using their airline's flight number while flying with a partner airline.

This collaboration improves convenience for travellers by expanding the number of destinations available without requiring airlines to operate additional flights.

Keyamo stated that Emirates Airlines is currently in talks with several Nigerian carriers about forming code-sharing partnerships. These collaborations are expected to strengthen the local aviation industry and provide additional travel options for Nigerian passengers.

Emirates Airlines suspended flights to Nigeria in October 2022 due to difficulties in repatriating trapped funds, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria's assurances.

A year later, during a diplomatic visit, President Bola Tinubu reached an agreement with the UAE's President to lift the visa ban on Nigerians and resume flights.

Emirates has confirmed plans to resume operations on October 1, 2024.