Emirates ‘temporarily’ suspends passenger services to Nigeria

Emirates has finally announced the temporary suspension of its passenger services from Nigeria (Lagos and Abuja) to Dubai until February 28.

“In line with government directives, passenger services from Nigeria (Lagos and Abuja) to Dubai are temporarily suspended until 28 February 2021,” the airline said in a statement.

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This is coming after severally cancelling its flights a day after a spat with the Federal Government over the introduction of a rapid antigen test as a requirement for Dubai travellers.

Confirming the suspension of the flights, the airline said customers from both Abuja and Lagos will not be accepted for travel prior to or including this date.

It said: “Passengers who have been to or connected through Nigeria in the last 14 days are not allowed entry into the UAE (whether terminating in or connecting through Dubai).

“Emirates flights from Dubai to Lagos and Abuja will continue to operate as per the normal schedule.

“We regret the inconvenience caused, and affected customers should contact their booking agent or Emirates call centre for rebooking.

“Emirates remains committed to Nigeria, and we look forward to resuming passenger services to Dubai for our customers when conditions allow.”

Daily Trust reports that, for the fifth day running, there has been uncertainty over resumption of Emirates flights from Lagos and Abuja to Dubai.

Last Saturday, the Federal Government had slammed a suspension on the airline over violation of COVID-19 protocols with the introduction of the RDT different from the negative PCR test approved by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 (PTF).

The suspension was lifted the following day after the UAE government reportedly suspended the Antigen test as a requirement for travellers to Dubai from Nigeria.

But while Emirates passengers thought the crisis was already over, the airline did not operate on Saturday as it announced that the flights – EK784 and EK786 for Lagos and Dubai respectively – had been cancelled.

The airline followed with another communication to its trade partners on Sunday that both flights had been cancelled till further notice.

Daily Trust learnt that the stringent protocols introduced by the UAE authorities was informed by the suspicion that some passengers have been brandishing fake COVID-19 test results to travel outside Nigeria.

Antigent test

A source privy to the development in a chat with our correspondent said: “The UAE believes the introduction of the rapid antigen test is the only measure to guide against having a COVID-19 carrier on board since there have been several cases of fakery of the test result.

“But this was however being done using unapproved laboratories which was why the PTF had to warn the airline through the NCAA to stop the antigen test as a requirement.

“The PTF had to wield the big stick after the airline ignore the warning.”

Another stakeholder said the UAE was not ready to compromise the health safety measure on the altar of making profit hence the decision to temporarily suspend the flights though without properly communicating to government.

President of NANTA, Mrs. Susan Akporiaye, commended the action of the Federal Government for stopping the antigen test which she said was extra financial burden on passengers.

She said: “The PCR test is more in-depth while the Antigen test is not comprehensive.

“You can use the PCR to judge whether the passenger has COVID-19 or not.

“If you arrive at Dubai Airport, what they are supposed to do is to carry out a PCR test for you and if you test positive, you pay $2, 000 like what Canada is doing which is effective and has seriously reduced the issue of fake COVID-19 test.

“UAE should have adopted such method. You don’t need to board anybody without $2000.”

Weighing in on the development, analyst, Mr. Olumide Ohunayo, said Emirates was caught between making profit and implementing the national health protocols against COVID-19.

He noted that apart from Emirates, other airlines have also been coming up with different protocols as approved by their respective counties.

Ohunayo, who is a Director of Research at Zenith Travel and a member of the Aviation Roundtable, asked the Federal Government to be more firm in dealing with laboratories where fake COVID-19 tests are detected and also prosecute the perpetrators.

He said: “What they (Emirates) have now is between making profit and meeting the national health protocol of Dubai.

“That is the case before us. The Emirates is insisting that after the PCR test, passengers should do the antigen test at the airport.

“Some other airlines are also doing it but at the point of arrival in their country but Emirates is saying you should do it at the point of departure but the government is saying as at today we don’t have such infrastructure in place.

“What we agreed for our passengers is the PCR test.

“Any other test outside the one approved by the government will not stand and that is the point.”