Why FG Slashed Emirates’ Flight Frequency Into Nigeria From 21 To One

Facts have emerged as to why the Federal Government reduced the flight frequency of Emirates Airline into Nigeria from 21 to just one.

Sources told THE WHISTLER that the Federal Government took the decision after it received a letter from the government of the United Arab Emirates that it will not reciprocate Nigeria’s magnanimity in granting Air Peace more than one slot into Dubai.

Before President Muhammadu Buhari took over in 2015, Emirates Airline was operating 14 flight frequencies into Nigeria. The 14 flight frequencies are made up of seven each for Lagos and Abuja.

But after Buhari took over office in 2015, it was learnt that the flight frequency rose from 14 to 21 following a Bilateral Air Service Agreement between both countries.

Under the BASA, Nigeria and UAE are expected to operate 21 flights each.

However, while the Dubai-based Emirates Airline enjoyed it’s 21 flight schedules, Nigeria could not benefit from the agreement as the country had no airline plying that route.

It was gathered that the Federal Government finally reached an understanding with Air Peace to start traveling to Dubai for three flights monthly.

However, findings revealed that rather than give approval to Airpeace for the three frequencies that was applied for, the UAE government wrote a letter to the Federal Government stating that it cannot accommodate more than one flight from Air Peace to Dubai.

The letter, which the senior government official described as “insulting” made Federal Government to take retaliatory steps to protest the injustice to Nigeria from the Dubai government.

The source said, “We have a problem with Emirates for those who intend to travel at the moment by Emirates so that they understand what is going on and see it from the perspective that we see it.

“So there is what is called Bilateral Air Service Agreement and these are agreements between countries on how the airlines will operate in each other’s territory. In this case, it was on how it will help Emirates Airline operate within the shores of Nigeria and how will any Nigerian Airline operate within the shores of UAE.

“So they got two major airlines, the Etihad and the Emirates. We negotiated a Bilateral Service Agreement with them when we came in as a government and they requested 21 frequencies meaning that they will be coming to Nigeria 21 times in a week or simplified as three times a day. Two in Lagos and one in Abuja.

“Even this was something that the Buhari government gave them. They were having 14 frequencies when we came and it was 7 for Lagos and 7 for Abuja and they never operated Abuja when we came.

“We have no airline that can go 21 times into UAE so they are taking advantage of us which is our fault and not there’s

“But we got a Nigerian airline which is Air Peace that applied to get only three out of the 21 frequencies and I approved. So Air Peace want to be going into UAE three times in a week but UAE refused to approve the three frequency for Airpeace.

“They insisted on giving them only one, only one frequency and it’s in Sharja. Now we are giving them 21 from our agreement and they supposed to give Airpeace 21. So we went back and forth with them right here in Columbia with them and we said okay we we are going to also go and look at it and give you also one figure as against 21.

“So they wrote us a letter that in accordance with the bilateral agreement between the two countries and having looked at our operations with great pain that they will be giving Airpeace one slot in Sharja and that’s the best they can do in the circumstance that their airports were full.

“So this is very insulting and this is not acceptable by the treaty convention or agreement and therefore the government directed that they also be given one frequency and then to Abuja.”

The official expressed optimism that Emirates Airlines will not be able to bear the pressure because they have lost a lot of money in the past.

“They are losing a lot of money and we in Nigeria are losing the service they provide and we are also losing some Economic activities. But the sovereignty of 200 million Nigerians is too big for us to toil with,” the source added.