The Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, has announced that Nigeria’s newly negotiated Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) with the United Arab Emirates grants Nigerian airlines full access to all airports in the UAE.
In return, UAE airlines, including Emirates, will now enjoy unrestricted access to airports across Nigeria.
Keyamo made this disclosure during a press briefing following the ceremony commemorating the return of Emirates Airlines to Nigeria, as reported by Channels Television.
Highlighting the importance of the agreement, Keyamo stated, “The first thing we did when we went to negotiate a new Bilateral Service Agreement was to secure the route for our local operators. If you look at the new BASA, it says to any destination. Our agreement with them is they fly to any destination in Nigeria, and we fly to any destination in the UAE. So, it’s purely reciprocal in that respect.”
The arrangement means that, once fully operational, Nigerian airlines will gain access to key UAE airports, including Dubai International (DXB), Abu Dhabi International (AUH), Sharjah International (SHJ), Al Maktoum International (DWC), and Ras Al Khaimah International (RKT).
The minister emphasized that this landmark deal is set to strengthen Nigeria’s aviation sector, boost competition, and potentially reduce airfares, offering more travel options for Nigerian passengers.
More insight
The Minister further disclosed that, as part of the new BASA deal, Nigerian airlines have been granted the right of first refusal in any potential code-sharing arrangements with UAE carriers, particularly Emirates Airlines.
This means that Nigerian operators will be given the first opportunity to participate in any partnership before it is offered to other airlines.
Keyamo explained, “We told them that if they want to code-share, our airlines should have the right of first refusal because there will be a lot of code-sharing in this respect.”
Code-sharing is an agreement where two or more airlines share the same flight, allowing passengers to book seats on flights operated by a partner airline under their own flight number. This collaboration increases convenience for travelers by expanding the destinations they can reach without requiring airlines to operate additional flights.
Keyamo also mentioned that Emirates Airlines is already in discussions with several Nigerian airlines to establish these partnerships, which are expected to strengthen the local aviation industry and provide more travel options for Nigerian passengers.
What you should know
In October 2022, Emirates Airlines suspended flights to Nigeria due to challenges repatriating trapped funds, despite assurances from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
A year later, during a diplomatic visit, President Bola Tinubu secured an agreement with the UAE President to lift the visa ban on Nigerians and resume flights.
By May 2024, Emirates confirmed plans to resume operations on October 1, 2024.
Nigeria’s Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, recently announced that the country had secured reciprocal flight rights for Nigerian airlines to operate in the UAE under a new BASA agreement.
Keyamo also recently revealed during the ceremony marking the resumption of Emirates Airlines operations to Nigeria that the visa issues faced by Nigerians with the UAE would soon return to normal.
