Emirates Airlines has suspended all flights in and out of Nigeria effective from September 1, 2022.
The United Arab Emirates airline disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday morning, citing the airline’s inability to repatriate its trapped ticket sales fund in Nigeria.
This comes about a week after the airline cut its 11 weekly frequencies into Lagos Airport to just seven.
AMBusiness recalls that the company said it has about $85 million of the $600 million from over 20 foreign airlines blocked in Nigeria.
All inbound and outbound flights to Nigeria have now been suspended as a result.
The company said it will make alternative travel arrangements for customers affected.
The airline’s statement signed by its media consultant to the airline in Nigeria read, ”Emirates has tried every avenue to address our ongoing challenges in repatriating funds from Nigeria, and we have made considerable efforts to initiate dialogue with the relevant authorities for their urgent intervention to help find a viable solution.
”Regrettably, there has been no progress. Therefore, Emirates has taken the difficult decision to suspend all flights to and from Nigeria, effective September 1 2022, to limit further losses and impact on our operational costs that continue to accumulate in the market.
”We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to our customers, however, the circumstances are beyond our control at this stage. We will be working to help impacted customers make alternative travel arrangements wherever possible.
”Should there be any positive developments in the coming days regarding Emirates’ blocked funds in Nigeria, we will of course re-evaluate our decision. We remain keen to serve Nigeria, and our operations provide much-needed connectivity for Nigerian travellers, providing access to trade and tourism opportunities to Dubai and to our broader network of over 130 destinations.”