Just 48 hours after lifting the ban, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has again suspended flights to and from Nigeria.
Emirates Airlines in a statement released on its official website on Monday announced the government’s directives.
“In line with government directives, passenger flights to and from Nigeria (Lagos and Abuja) are suspended with effect from 21 June 2021 until further notice,” the statement read.
The airlines also revealed that customers travelling to and from Lagos and Abuja will not be accepted for travel. Likewise, passengers who have been to or connected through Nigeria in the last 14 days are not permitted to board from any other point to the UAE.
The airlines reaffirmed its “committment to Nigeria” while looking forward to resuming passenger services “when conditions allow.”
The sudden switch in policy comes just two days after Dubai’s supreme committee of crisis and disaster management announced resumption of flights from Nigeria after several months of ban in line with the country’s Covid-19 protocols.
The country had required Nigerian passengers to “present a negative test result for a PCR test taken 48 hours prior to departure.”
In addition, it had said that “the negative PCR test certificate should carry a QR Code and the test must have been conducted by labs approved by the Nigerian Government. Passengers must also undergo a PCR test on arrival in Dubai.”
The UAE’s earlier decision was meant to take effect by June 23.
