NANTA refutes reports on British Airways suspending flights to Nigeria

The National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) has described as ‘totally false’ the news credited to it, carried by some news platforms that British Airways plans to withdraw services from the Nigerian route.

In a statement by NANTA signed by it’s Public Relations Officer on Friday, it stated that the association never said that British Airways gave a deadline and will stop flying to Nigeria. “NANTA never issued a press statement to that effect. It is not in the purview of NANTA to issue such statement,” NANTA said.

According to the association, the National Executive Council of NANTA went into a business meeting with British Airways, where British Airways gave assurance that it remains committed to servicing the needs of travel agencies in Nigeria.

“NANTA as partners to all the airlines in Nigeria has taken it as a responsibility to visit the carriers to empathise with them concerning their trapped funds and to re-affirm our commitment as trade partners.

“Aside Emirates Airlines that has made withdrawal notice public, no other airline has announced or expressed the desire to stop flying to Nigeria as far as we know,” NANTA added.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.