The Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Musa Nuhu has confirmed that Emirates Airlines flight operations to Lagos has been suspended, while it is allowed to operate once in a week to Abuja.
The Director General explained to aviation correspondents in Lagos Friday that government decided to respond to the way United Arab Emirates (UAE) treated Nigerian airline, Air Peace, saying that it is the responsibility of government to protect Nigerian businesses.
UAE reduced Air Peace request for three times weekly flight to one, claiming it did not have enough slots for the airline.
Nuhu said that NCAA withdrew the approval to Emirates following the refusal of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of UAE to grant equal rights to the sole Nigerian carrier, Air Peace flying to Dubai via Sharjah.
Nuhu explained that the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, had graciously granted Emirates Airlines 21 frequencies weekly to two major airports in Nigeria; Lagos, 14 and Abuja, seven.
He regretted that despite this approval, the GCAA refused to grant Air Peace three weekly frequencies to Sharjah, which the airline requested for, but rather approved just one frequency weekly.
According to him, the GCAA had attributed its refusal to grant the three frequencies to the airline to inadequate slots in Sharjah airport, stressing that the government would continue to protect Nigeria’s businesses.
“The Nigerian Government was gracious to grant Emirates Airlines 21 frequencies it requested for. The airline wants to operate 14 weekly flights to Lagos and another seven weekly to Abuja airports.
“However, Air Peace only requested for three weekly flights to Sharjah, not even Dubai airport, but the CAA refused the airline. The CAA only approved one weekly frequency to the airline. The only excuse they gave was that they don’t have enough slots. Where is the justice in this? That is capital flight out of Nigeria. Nigeria should protect its own.”
NCAA in a statement signed by the Director General also recalled that following the lifting of the ban on Emirates Airline passenger flights to Nigeria by the Government, the UAE based airline applied to Federal Ministry of Aviation for approval of its Winter Flight Schedule.
The requested schedule consisted of twenty-one (21) weekly passenger flight frequencies to Nigeria, comprising of two daily flights to Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos and one daily flight to Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.
“The Honourable Minister of Aviation graciously approved the Winter Schedule as requested without any hindrance or arrival slots requirements in the spirit and intent of the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and UAE.
“Air Peace Airlines, the only Nigerian airline that operates passenger flights to Sharjah International Airport in UAE, requested for three weekly passenger flight frequencies and was granted only one weekly passenger flight frequency. The Director General of General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) attributed this action due to non-availability of arrival slots at Sharjah International Airport,” the statement said.
NCAA explained that Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between countries are based on the principle of reciprocity for transparency and fairness to both sides, noting that while Nigerian Authorities approved the request of Emirates Airlines, UAE Authorities acted in total disregard of the terms and provisions of the BASA between the two countries by approving one out of the three weekly passenger flight frequencies requested by Air Peace Airlines.
“DG NCAA held a meeting with his GCAA (UAE) counterpart on Thursday 9th December 2021 at the sidelines of the ICAO Air Negotiation Conference (ICAN) in Bogota, Colombia which ended in a stalemate.
“The Honourable Minister of Aviation decided to apply the principle of reciprocity and withdraw the approval of the Winter Schedule given to Emirates Airlines and instead approved one weekly flight frequency to Abuja on Thursday. The DG NCAA notified The Country Manager of Emirates Airlines and DG GCAA of the new approved weekly passenger flight schedule.
“We want to assure the public that national interest in all aviation matters will be jealously guided and protected while regretting any inconvenience this action might.
Reacting to the action of the federal government, many industry stakeholders commended government for the decision to withdraw Emirates flights from Lagos and leaving one flight a week to Abuja, saying that the principle of reciprocity encourages countries to respect one another.
Industry analyst and the publicity secretary of Aviation Round Table (ART), Olu Ohunayo, told THISDAY that what the Nigerian government did was commendable, noting that the he hopes that the Nigerian government would not dissolve the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 (PSC) because the committee has done so much for aviation.
“What the federal government has done has not happened before in the industry and I applaud the PSC because they have given a bite to the aviation industry. The aviation industry is about reciprocity; that is what is used to negotiate power with nations.
“I have said it before and I stand on it. When you designate a carrier to represent you, that carrier, irrespective of the ownership, becomes the flag of Nigeria as long as it is representing Nigeria. Once it is your flag, all the support you can give to your national carrier you give to that airline that is carrying your flag; except it is going on a private charter. So the designated airline must get the same protection as British Airways, it must get the same protection as Emirates.
“I am happy I am seeing this in my life time. It is the time to call the bluff of Emirates,” he said.
