Less than 48 hours after United Arab Emirates (UAE) – Emirates Airlines – lifted the ban on flights into and out of Nigeria, the carrier dramatically reversed itself, saying it will not accept flights from Lagos and Abuja as from yesterday (June 21).
The carrier had, since March, suspended flights into Nigeria.
According to a statement by the airline, customers travelling to and from Lagos and Abuja will not be accepted for travel, while those who have been to – or connected through – Nigeria in the last 14 days will not be permitted to board from any other point to the UAE.
The statement reads: “We regret the inconvenience caused, and affected customers should contact their booking agent or Emirates call centre for rebooking,” said the airline. “Emirates remains committed to Nigeria, and we look forward to resuming passenger services when conditions allow.”
Emirates also said flights from South Africa would remain suspended until July 6, in line with government’s directives that restrict the entry of travellers from South Africa into the UAE.
Daily passenger flights to Johannesburg (South Africa) will operate as EK-763, but outbound passenger services on EK-764 remain suspended.
Customers who have been to or connected through South Africa in the last 14 days will not be permitted on any Emirates flights bound for Dubai.
The airline had, on Saturday, announced that it would be resuming flight operations in Nigeria from June 23, 2021.
In Dubai’s official Instagram page on Saturday, it announced a travel protocol that as part of easing inbound travel restrictions, Dubai’s Supreme Court Committee of crisis and disaster management had introduced new entry protocols for passengers, effective from June 23, 2021.
