The Emirates airline has reintroduced the ban on passenger flights to and from Nigeria with effect from June 21.
The ban is until further notice, according to an announcement made by the airline in a statement on Monday.
TheFact Nigeria reports that the Emirates had, on Saturday, announced resumption of flight operations, which were suspended in March, over diplomatic row on COVID-19 protocols.
The airline had initially fixed Wednesday, June 23, 2021, for resumption of flights to Nigeria.
The Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management in Dubai eased travel rules for inbound passengers arriving from India, South Africa and Nigeria.
The organisation, in a statement on its website said, “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.”
“We look forward to facilitating travel from these countries and supporting various travelers’ categories.
“We will resume carrying passengers from South Africa, Nigeria and India in accordance with these protocols from 23rd June,”.a
In what could be described as U-turn on Monday, the organisation released a new travel update indicating that Lagos and Abuja flights would no longer resume on Wednesday, as earlier announced.
Emirates said, “Customers travelling to and from Lagos and Abuja will not be accepted for travel. Customers 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.
“We regret the inconvenience caused, and affected customers should contact their booking agent or Emirates call centre for rebooking. Emirates remains committed to Nigeria, and we look forward to resuming passenger services when conditions allow.”
