Trapped funds: Emirates reverses flight suspension plans

Emirates Airlines has announced that it would restore its flight operations to Lagos, starting September 11, 2022.
The airline said this in an email it sent to its customers and travel agencies on Tuesday.

Emirates issued the mail few days after the federal government released the sum of $265 million to foreign airlines in the country to settle outstanding ticket sales out of the $464 million owed foreign airlines in Nigeria, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA),

“We are pleased to inform you that effective from 11th September 2022, we will reinstate operations of our flights,” Emirates said.

“Inbound flights from Dubai to Lagos (EK783) and outbound flights from Lagos to Dubai (EK784) will recommence from Sunday, 11th September 2022.

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“Lagos flights after 30th September, 2022 will be advised in due course,” the airline said.

The Nigerian government been facing a forex exchange crisis, and could not meet various obligations, including revenue repatriation by foreign airlines and dollar requests by citizens and businesses.

Two weeks ago Emirates announced that it would be suspending all its flights to and from Nigeria effective September 1.

It disclosed that it had tried every avenue to address its ongoing challenges in repatriating funds from Nigeria, and has made considerable efforts to initiate dialogue with the relevant authorities for their urgent intervention to help find a viable solution and regrettably there had been no progress.

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.