Dubai’s main airline Emirates has announced yet another suspension of flights to and from Nigeria from Monday 21 June, 2021.

Emirates flight suspension of Nigeria is coming barely 48 hours after UAE announced plans to resume flights connecting Nigeria to Dubai.

“In line with govenment directives, passenger flights to and from Nigeria (Lagos and Abuja) are suspended with effect from 21 June 2021 until further notice.”

“Customers travelling to and from Lagos and Abuja will not be accepted for travel.

“Customers who traveled to or connected through Nigeria within the last 14 days are not permitted to board from any other point to the UAE,”

The airline said in a statement posted on its Emirates website.

Dubai Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management released a new travel protocol on 19 June to resume flights from Nigeria.

The eased travel rules which was supposed to start Wednesday 23, June, 2021 also affect passengers arriving from India and South Africa.

“We regret any inconveniences caused, and affected customers should contact their booking agents or Emirates call centre for rebooking.

“Emirates remain committed to Nigeria, and we look forward to resuming passenger services when conditions allow.” Emirates added.

Why Emirates suspended flights to Nigeria?

Since 4 February, 2021 Emirates Airlines has stopped the airlift of Nigerians to Dubai from Abuja and Lagos airports.

The ban was due to the refusal by the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 [PTF] to allow the airline conduct rapid test for coronavirus.

The airline made this test compulsory for their passengers four hours before boarding their flights.

But the arrangement didn’t go down well with Nigerian authorities.

Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 [PTF], according to reports, plan to provide the infrastructure for Emirates Airlines to conduct Rapid Antigens Test [RDT] on passengers who want to flyout from Nigeria in readiness for the resumption of flights.

But with this latest travel update, Emirates flights from Nigeria might not be available for a while.

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This travel update is part of the revised Covid protocols that United Arab Emirates [UAE] authorities released on Saturday 19 June.

This means United Arab Emirates flights connecting Nigeria, South Africa, India will resume from this date, according the Dubai media office.

The Dubai Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management issued the new travel protocol.

Travellers from Nigeria will be required to do COVID-19 tests upon arrival at the airports in United Arab Emirates, with this new guidelines.

With this development Emirate airline has relaxed their previous suspension of arrivals from Nigeria, South Africa and India.

What’s in the new Dubai Nigeria travel rule?

Passengers from Nigeria to Dubai:

1. Passengers must have received a negative test result for a PCR test which they took within 48 hours before departure. UAE citizens are not affected.
2. Passengers need to show a negative PCR test certificate with a QR code from labs approved by the Nigerian government.
3. All passengers must undergo one PCR test when they arrive in Dubai airport.
4. Transit passengers need to comply with entry protocols of their final destination.

Requirements for passengers from South Africa to Dubai:

1. Passengers need to receive two doses of one covid-19 vaccine approved by UAE authorities.
2. Passengers must present a negative test result of one PCR test which they took within 48 hours before departure. UAE citizens are exempted.
3. All passengers must undergo one PCR test when they arrive in Dubai airport.
4. Transit passengers need to comply with entry protocols of their final destination.

Requirements for passengers from India to Dubai:

1. Eligible passengers travelling from India to Dubai also need to present a negative test certificate from one RT-PCR which they took 48 hours before departure; UAE nationals are not required to follow this requirement.
2. Passengers travelling to Dubai from India are required to do rapid PCR test four hours before departure to Dubai. They must also undergo another RT-PCR test on arrival in Dubai.
3. Upon arrival, passengers from India are required to undergo institutional quarantine until they receive their PCR test result, which is expected within 24 hours.
4. United Arab Emirate [UAE] citizens and diplomats are exempted from the institutional quarantine. Also, only QR-coded negative PCR test certificates is acceptable.

The UAE’s new measures are a part of efforts to ease travel restrictions into Dubai.

According to the Dubai media office, the protocol will become effective from June 23, 2021.

Emirates Airlines reaction

“Emirates welcomes the latest protocols and measures announced by the Dubai Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management to allow the safe resumption of passenger travel from South Africa, Nigeria and India to Dubai and onwards.”

The airline’s spokesperson said in a reported statement, according to Golf News.

“We will resume carrying passengers from South Africa, Nigeria and India in accordance with these protocols from 23rd June,” Emirates said

“We thank the Supreme Committee for their continuous efforts in monitoring the development of the situation.

“And announcing the appropriate guidelines and protocols to protect the community and safeguard the travel sector,” the Airline reported statement add.

“When Emirates will resume flights to Nigeria?”

According to the Dubai media office, the flights will resume effective from June 23, 2021.

Emirates had suspended passenger flights from India effective until July 6, 2021 due to rising Covid infections in that country.

Meanwhile United Arab Emirates will suspend travellers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Namibia from entering the Middle East county on national and foreign flights.

The suspension will take effect from 23:59 p.m. on Monday, June 21, state news agency WAM reports on Saturday.

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