Breaking: Emirates Suspends Flights to Nigeria over Trapped Funds 

Chinedu Eze

Emirates has announced that it is suspending all its flights to and from Nigeria effective September 1.

In a statement by Emirates, 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. 

“Therefore, Emirates has taken the difficult decision to suspend all flights to and from Nigeria, effective 1 September 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,” the airline disclosed.

The airline further hinted that if there was any positive developments in the coming days regarding Emirates’ blocked funds in Nigeria, it will re-evaluate its 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,” the airline added.