Air Peace Gets Daily Landing Slots in Dubai, FG Grants Emirates 21 Weekly Flights as Spat With UAE Ends
- Air Peace seems to have gotten a reprieve as the United Arab Emirates has granted it daily landing slots in Dubai
- Also, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority allowed Emirates Airlines 21 weekly landing slots to two airports in Nigeria
- This is because the two countries have resolved the issue in which Air Peace was denied daily landing slots in Dubai, necessitating the Nigerian government to place a ban on Emirates
The Nigerian government gave its approval for Emirates Airlines’ Winter Flight which includes 21 weekly flight frequencies to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos to commence.
Source: UGC
UAE buckles
This is a coming as the United Arab Emirates has buckled under pressure from Nigeria and granted Nigeria’s Air Peace Airline daily slots at the Dubai Airport, in the spirit of give and take, and the Bilateral Air Service Agreement in existence between the UAE and Nigeria.
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Musa Nuhu, The Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, made the disclosure known in a letter to the Emirates Country Manager on Tuesday, December 21, 2021.
The NCAA copied the UAR General Authority and the Nigerian Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika.
The letter grants Emirates 21 weekly flights as UAE also allows Air Peace daily schedule.
It reads:
”Following further consultations with various stakeholders and the letter from Dubai Civil Aviation Authority with reference number DCAA/ASA/N-3/016 dated 17 December 2021 offering Air Peace airline daily slots at Dubai Airport, I wish to inform you of the reinstatement of the ministerial approval of Emirates Airlines Winter Schedule.
”This approval is predicated on the compliance with the Dubai Travel Protocol as released by Dubai Airports on Friday 26 November 2021 as it affects passengers travelling from Nigeria to UAE. Please be guided accordingly.”
How It all started
Nigeria lifted the ban on Emirates Airlines flights to Nigeria after the suspension of the carrier from coming into Nigeria for many months because of worries over UAE’s requirements in COVID-19 management.
According to Nuhu, the lifting of the ban allowed Emirates Airlines to apply to Nigeria’s Ministry of Aviation for approval of its winter schedule which consists 21 weekly passenger flights.
He had, however, expressed dissatisfaction that Air Peace Airlines, the only Nigerian airline that operates passenger flights to Sharjah International Airport in the UAE, requested three weekly passenger flight frequencies but was granted only one.
Subsequently, Emirates Airline on Friday, December 17, 2021, announced the suspension of its flights to Nigeria, attributing its decision to the NCAA policy limiting its operation in the country to one flight per week.
The back story
Previously, Legit.ng reported that Following the ongoing diplomatic fireworks between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates, the Emirati Minister of Economy, Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, has said that it is unreasonable for the Arab nation to retain the slots of Nigeria-based Air Peace airline at the Sharjah International Airport.
The minister, who is also the chairman of the General Civil Aviation Authority in the UAE, says the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority’s action to limit Emirates’ flights to once weekly was unjustifiable.
The Punch reports that Al Marri made this known in a letter penned on December 10, 2021, and addressed to the Nigerian Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika.
The Punch reports that Al Marri made this known in a letter penned on December 10, 2021, and addressed to the Nigerian Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika.
Source: Legit.ng
