Uncertainty beclouds resumption of Nigeria — UAE flights
The resumption of commercial flights between Nigeria and United Arab Emirates (UAE) remains uncertain, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo has disclosed.
Recall that President Tinubu on Monday after meeting with the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan revealed that the UAE has lifted the months-long visa ban on Nigerians, with immediate effect noting that Etihad and Emirates Airlines are to resume flight operations in Nigeria immediately.
However, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo providing an update yesterday said that while the agreement holds great promise for Nigerian travelers, the time frame for its commencement remains unknown.
Festus Keyamo who disclosed this at the closing ceremony of the 7th African Aviation Summit in Abuja on Thursday, emphasised that lifting of the ban, comes with hopes of enhancing bilateral relations and boosting economic activities between the two nations.
He noted that it is crucial for airlines operating between Nigeria and the UAE to have reciprocal rights as per the Bilateral Air Services Agreements, stressing the importance of balanced and fair treatment between the two countries.
Furthermore, Keyamo reassured that actions are being taken to ensure the repatriation of the funds of foreign airlines, addressing concerns about trapped funds.
He said: “We are working the details out. When two countries agree at the very top level then of course all the government operatives will begin to work out the tiny details. So, we are beginning to work out all the tiny details. I met with Emirate before I left UAE, I met with Etihad before I left UAE and we are working out the details.
“The time frame, we cannot say the time frame. Kicking off an airline operation again on a route, it is not that you will go and grab one empty plane sitting in a place. There is no idle plane sitting anywhere, they have to reschedule their flights, restart their routes again, and all kinds of things.
“All kinds of permission will be taken from local authorities and of course, I made the point in speaking with them and I made it clear that they will have to give our airlines reciprocal rights under our BASA. That is the point I insisted on, and they did say that any spot we need, they will give us as much as we give them those spots within Nigeria.”
Speaking on the issue of trapped funds he said, “Mr President is very concerned about that, in fact, it is one of the issues we went to discuss in the UAE. I spoke with the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and he has given an indication that within the next few weeks, the Central Bank of Nigeria will be very clear as to the programme within which these issues will be addressed.
“They will be paid off, these are not loans, they are trapped funds, they are funds that are there, it is only the issue of liquidity that is our problem. The issues of liquidity are being addressed as I speak right now. It is something that the president is very concerned about, and that issue, I said that we have addressed it in the UAE and very soon, you will hear from the financial sector,” the Minister concluded.
