Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has stated that the return of Emirates Airlines to Nigeria will foster healthy competition and lead to more competitive pricing on international routes, Okay.ng reports.
Keyamo made the remarks on Wednesday following his arrival in Lagos State aboard an Emirates aircraft from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking the airline’s resumption of operations in Nigeria.
Emirates had previously halted flights to Nigeria in 2022 due to issues surrounding trapped funds.
“With this, we have more competition on different international routes now. That is what it’s all about, to ensure healthy competition,” Keyamo said.
“A healthy competition leads to competitive pricing for the benefit of the Nigerian people.”
The Minister also revealed that the government has secured a code-sharing agreement with Emirates Airlines to benefit domestic operators, ensuring that Nigerian airlines have the right of first refusal on these agreements.
“Dubai, in particular, is a major hub of the world, it links virtually every country. For our airlines too, I can tell you that we also secured some kind of code-sharing agreement,” he added.
Emirates Airlines officially resumed flight operations to Nigeria on October 1, 2024, following a two-year suspension.
