Emirates Airlines has on Thursday, announced the suspension of its flight operations in Nigeria, from September 1, 2022, until further notice, giving reasons for the drastic decision once again,
It said that the suspension became necessary, following its inability to repatriate its earned funds from Nigeria.
Recall, that International Air Carriers operating in Nigeria, have repeatedly complained about their inability to repatriate earned funds to their home countries, with no solution in sight by the President Muhammadu Buhari Federal Government.
They have raised this concern on many occasions with Officials of the Federal Ministry of Aviation, as well as those at the Ministry of Finance.
Blocked funds belonging to these Airlines have risen to about a whopping $600 million, as this is due to the inability of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to make the United States dollar available for the Carriers to repatriate to their country homes.
In its statement today, Emirates Airlines revealed that it “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.
“We remain keen to serve Nigeria, and our operations provide much-needed connectivity for Nigerian travelers, providing access to trade and tourism opportunities to Dubai, and to our broader network of over 130 destinations.”