Emirates Airline, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) based mega carrier, has restated its commitment to deepening its presence in Nigeria with the plan to increase its frequencies to the West African country by September 1.
Emirates currently operates 12 flights a week to two cities in Nigeria, Lagos and Abuja. By September 1, it will ramp up its operations to 21 weekly flights in line with increasing demand for international travel from the market, the airline said over the weekend as its top management, led by the Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations in Africa, Badr Abbas, visited the country.
- Terrorism, banditry causing loss of lives, resources – COAS
- NIGERIA DAILY: Who Needs More Days For Campaigns? Why?
Abbas was in Nigeria to honour the contribution of the travel agents to Emirates’ post-pandemic recovery in characteristic style and elegance.
The event, which had in attendance travel agents from across the country was also hosted by the Country Manager Nigeria, Paulos Legesse, and the Emirates team in Nigeria.
The airline also organised workshops for close to 100 travel trade partners in both cities, with a view to providing them with the latest updates and information on the airline, its route network and fleet in service, the ramp up of operations in both Lagos and Abuja, new routes for the airline globally, among others.
Abbas speaking on the resumption of its flights in Nigeria after the pandemic said: “Emirates airline and Nigeria share a very special relationship that goes back to almost 20 years and we have been connecting Nigerian travellers to a global network, which now spans nearly 130 destinations, making it easier to connect with friends, family, trade and tourism opportunities.
“We have been eager to visit Nigeria, a market that is very important to us, to meet with the people that have supported us, even in the most difficult of times. Throughout this journey, you, our loyal travel agents have been an integral part of our rebuilding efforts, for which we are extremely grateful. We look forward to your continued support in the years ahead.
“It has been a challenging two years for all of us, and together we are navigating the road to recovery, hopefully gaining an even stronger footing for the future. The word ‘Together’ is key and has always been for us at Emirates. Recovery is not a unilateral effort. It is through collaboration and meaningful partnerships that we move forward with the recovery, and all collectively prepare to address the pent-up demand for travel to and from Nigeria and across our network.”