Emirates Airlines has announced the suspension of all its flights from Nigeria effective September 1.
This was issued in a statement on Thursday. It stated that the move became necessary owing to its inability to repatriate its funds from the country.
It further said that it had tried every avenue to address the challenges in repatriating the funds but was unsuccessful.
It read, “The Airline has tried every avenue to address our ongoing challenges in repatriating funds from Nigeria, and we have made considerable efforts to initiate dialogue with the relevant authorities for their urgent intervention to help find a viable solution.
“Regrettably there has been no progress. Therefore, Emirates has taken the difficult decision to suspend all flights to and from Nigeria, effective September 1, 2022, to limit further losses and impact on our operational costs that continue to accumulate in the market.
“Therefore, 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.
“We 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,” the airline disclosed.
The airline noted that if there are any positive developments in the coming days regarding Emirates’ blocked funds in Nigeria, it will re-evaluate its decision.
“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,” the airline added.