Emirates Airlines, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) based carrier, has indicated plans to increase its weekly frequencies to two destinations in Nigeria; the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, by September 1, 2022.
The airline will be ramping up its operations to 21 weekly flights in order to deepen its presence in Nigeria and meet the increased demand for international travel from the market. Emirates stated this over the weekend, as its top management, led by the Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations in Africa, Badr Abbas, visited the country.
Abbas was in Nigeria to honour top travel agents in the country for their ongoing partnership with the airline and contribution to Emirates’ post-pandemic recovery The event was also hosted by the Country Manager Nigeria, Paulos Legesse, and the Emirates team in Nigeria.
Abass, speaking on the resumption of the 21 frequencies to Nigeria, said that the airline, which currently operates 12 weekly flights to Lagos and Abuja intended to increase the frequencies by September 2022.
According to him, “Emirates airline and Nigeria share a very special relationship that goes back to almost 20 years and we have been connecting Nigerian travellers to a global network, which now spans nearly 130 destinations, making it easier to connect with friends, family, trade and tourism opportunities.
We have been eager to visit Nigeria, a market that is very important to us, to meet with the people that have supported us, even in the most difficult of times. Throughout this journey, you, our loyal travel agents have been an integral part of our rebuilding efforts, for which we are extremely grateful. We look forward to your continued support in the years ahead.
It has been a challenging two years for all of us, and together we are navigating the road to recovery, hopefully gaining an even stronger footing for the future. The word ‘Together’ is key and has always been for us at Emirates. Recovery is not a unilateral effort. It is through collaboration and meaningful partnerships that we move forward with the recovery, and all collectively prepare to address the pent-up demand for travel to and from Nigeria and across our network.”
The airline also organised workshops for close to 100 travel trade partners in both Lagos and Abuja, with a view to provide them with the latest updates and information on the airline, its route network and fleet in service, the ramp up of operations in both Lagos and Abuja, new routes for the airline globally, among others.
