A flight operated by Emirates Airline, the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), touched down at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos, on Tuesday afternoon to signal the resumption of flight operations between both countries.

The flight EK 783 which travelled for over eight hours arrived in the country at about 4:00 p.m., almost two years after the airline suspended operations in Nigeria.

The Senior First Officer at Emirates Airline, Mohammed Madugu, announced the arrival of the flight on his X handle.

He wrote: “A very special day for me today, I have the honour of operating our inaugural return flight to Lagos, Nigeria, Lagos Airport.

“Today I’ll be flying both the Emirates and Nigerian flags very high! Thank you, Emirates.

“A flight time of slightly over 8 hours today,” he wrote.

Emirates Airlines suspended flight operations to Nigeria in November 2022 over its inability to repatriate its $85 million revenue trapped in the country.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on April 8 said he had received a letter from the airline confirming its readiness to resume flights to Nigeria.

Nigeria and the UAE on September 27 agreed on reciprocal rights ahead of the resumption of Emirates Airlines’ flight operations to Nigeria.

Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, Keyamo said the discussions reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to a balanced and forward-looking partnership with the UAE.

“We are pleased to have secured reciprocal operational rights for Nigerian airlines, which will not only deepen our bilateral ties but also strengthen the global competitiveness of Nigeria’s aviation industry,” he said.

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