UAE stops international airlines from flying Nigerians to Dubai
By Seyi Odewale
The diplomatic impasse between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirate worsened yesterday as the Arab nation allegedly directed international carriers not to airlift Nigerian travellers to Dubai.
The Federal Government on Sunday disclosed restrictions of airlines coming from Canada, the United Kingdom, and Saudi Arabia, into Nigeria from December 14 (today).
Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said countries that placed a travel ban on Nigeria due to the Omicron COVID-19 variant lacked a moral right to have their airlines fly into Nigeria on commercial operations.
The Federal Government had repeatedly kicked against the ban on Nigeria by the UK, Canada, and Saudi Arabia after the outbreak of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
In the latest stand-off, ThisNigeria learnt that the UAE directed all flights bound for the country to refuse service to Nigerian passengers.
This, it was learnt, was sequel to a retaliatory move by Nigeria when she reduced Emirates Airlines’ flight frequency from 21 to one per week after the Sharjah Airport Authorities reportedly denied Air Peace the three slots it requested.
It was learnt yesterday that Ethiopian Airlines, Turkish Air, and other international airlines going to Dubai refused to board passengers holding the Nigerian passport whose final destination is the UAE.
ThisNigeria further gathered that the airlines insisted that they have been directed not to airlift Nigerian passport holders to Dubai. The Ethiopian Airlines reportedly offloaded Nigerian passengers bound for Dubai.
A source in one of the foreign airlines in Abuja said, “The UAE says no entry for Nigerian passengers from any airline. Ethiopian just offloaded all passengers heading to Dubai. We are voiding Dubai-bound tickets.
”UAE says no entry for Nigerian passengers from any airline. Ethiopian just offloaded all passengers heading to Dubai. We are voiding Dubai-bound tickets.”
One of the airlines directed, “Due to an increasing number of COVID-19 positive passengers at the destination, it is decided to suspend accepting passengers to UAE from Nigeria, Congo DRC (FIH) only. This is effective today, December 13, 2021.
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“Today they have to offload Dubai passengers. So no airline wants to carry Nigerian passengers to Dubai. They said Nigerians are testing positive to COVID-19; that is why some airlines are not carrying them. It is just like they did the last time.”
The UAE had claimed that more Nigerians were testing positive to COVID-19.
As of December 12, 418 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Nigeria. To date, 217,481 cases have been confirmed, 207,746 cases have been discharged and 2,981 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
