FG bans Emirates Airline

The Federal government has included Emirates Airlines from operating in the country, adding to the number of airlines banned so far.

 The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika  made this known through his twitter handle.

He said the decision was reached after a meeting  the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 had with European Union Ambassadors who sought to review their status.

The PTF sub committee met today with EU Ambassadors to discuss Lufthansa, Air France/KLM ban. The meeting progressed well. Emirates Airlines’s situation was reviewed & they are consequently included in the list of those not approved, with effect from Monday the 21st Sept. 2020🇳🇬

— Hadi Abubakar Sirika, CFR, FRAeS, FNIA (@hadisirika) September 18, 2020

Sirika’s tweet read:” The PTF subcommittee met today,(Friday night) with EU Ambassadors to discuss Lufthansa, Air France/KLM ban. The meeting progressed well. Emirates Airlines’s situation was reviewed & they are consequently included in the list of those not approved, with effect from Monday the 21st Sept. 2020″.

Recall on September 3, 2020, the Minister had reeled out a list of thirteen (13) airlines approved to fly into the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja. Emirates Airlines was among the approved airlines then.

The new ban will come into effect from Monday the 21st September 2020 as part of the principle of reciprocity that the government put in place to protect its sovereignty.

This action has since created worries on social media as the teeming populace expressed their thoughts.

So Emirates no longer flying?

You're even creating more problems for us. We can't find flights to many destinations.

— Adebiyi Adeniran, ScD (@drbhiyi) September 18, 2020

The problem here is not as easy as many think. Entry ban is political choice while airline flight pure economical. Your ban of those airline will not change government policy if the rational behind such policy still stand

— Evangelist Aladesanmi (@aladesanmi) September 19, 2020

For some, it is the right thing to do since the UAE are also restricting Nigerians

The EU countries and the UAE are currently not issuing entry visas to Nigerians. When they start allowing us into their countries, we'll allow their airlines to resume flights in and out of Nigeria.

— TWT (@tundebrooks) September 18, 2020

Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) is asking the Nigerian government to reverse the restrictions placed on KLM, Lufthansa, and Air France.

The EU delegations which include three Ambassadors were led by the EU Head of Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Ketil Karlsen.

They met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama who led Nigeria delegation to the meeting. Others at the meeting include; Minister of Health, Dr. Osage Ehanire, Minister of State, Health, Dr. Olorunmibe Mamora, Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, and National Coordinator, PTF, Dr Sani Aliyu.