Emirates Airlines has announced that it will cease flying into Nigeria on September 1, 2022, having lost faith in the Federal Government after several attempts to recover $85 million of the over $600 million funds belonging to foreign carriers trapped in Nigeria failed.
In a statement issued by the airline and made available to BrandArena Thursday morning, the airline declared: “Emirates has tried every avenue to address our ongoing challenges in repatriating funds from Nigeria, and we have made considerable efforts to initiate dialogue with the relevant authorities for their urgent intervention to help find a viable solution.
“Regrettably there has been no progress. Therefore, Emirates has taken the difficult decision to suspend all flights to and from Nigeria, effective 1 September 2022, to limit further losses and impact on our operational costs that continue to accumulate in the market.
"We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to our customers, however, the circumstances are beyond our control at this stage. We will be working to help impacted customers make alternative travel arrangements wherever possible."
"Should there be any positive developments in the coming days regarding Emirates’ blocked funds in Nigeria, we will of course re-evaluate our decision. We remain keen to serve Nigeria, and our operations provide much needed connectivity for Nigerian travellers, providing access to trade and tourism opportunities to Dubai, and to our broader network of over 130 destinations”, the statement reads.
Foreign airlines' efforts to have their frozen funds repatriated to their home countries have thus far met with a brick wall, as the federal government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have remained apathetic to the plight of the foreign carriers.
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