Emirates airline says it will suspend its flight operations to Nigeria by September 1, 2022.
The flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, citing the inability to repatriate its foreign exchange earnings from Nigeria.
In July, Emirates had asked for the help of minister of aviation, Hadi Sirika in repatriating its revenue amounting to $85 million to their country but Nigeria is currently facing a forex exchange challenges which has affected the nationâs local currency.
The airline said the suspension would âlimit further losses and reduce the impact on its operational costs that continue to accumulate in the Nigerian market.
âTherefore, Emirates has taken the difficult decision to suspend all flights to and from Nigeria, effective 1 September 2022, to limit further losses and impact on our operational costs that continue to accumulate in the market,â the airline said.
âWe sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to our customers, however, the circumstances are beyond our control at this stage. We will be working to help impacted customers make alternative travel arrangements wherever possible.
âShould there be any positive developments in the coming days regarding Emiratesâ blocked funds in Nigeria, we remain keen to serve Nigeria, and our operations provide much-needed connectivity for Nigerian travellers, providing access to trade and tourism opportunities to Dubai, and to our broader network of over 130 destinations.â
In May , the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said Nigeria is holding about $450 million due to foreign airlines.
