NCAA attributes withdrawal of Emirates Airlines’ frequencies to lack of respect for principle of reciprocity
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has attributed withdrawal of approval for extra frequencies granted Emirates Airlines by the Ministry of Aviation to a lack of mutual respect for the principle of reciprocity by the United Arab Emirates General Civil Aviation Authority.
It would be recalled that the Minister for Aviation, Hadi Sirika had, in a letter with the reference number FMA/ATMO/501/C.104/XV/356 and dated 1st December 2021, granted approval to the Emirates Airlines to operate 21 frequencies weekly to two major airports in Nigeria – Lagos, 14 and Abuja, 7.
One week after the minister conveyed his approval to the airline, the NCAA, in a letter with the reference number: NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/329, dated December 9, 2021, withdrew the initial approval granted the airline.
Explaining why it withdrew the approval, the Director-General of the NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu, disclosed to aviation correspondents in Lagos that the Authority withdrew the approval following the refusal of the UAE’s GCAA to grant equal rights to Nigeria’s Air Peace to operate three weekly frequencies to Dubai via Sharjah.
According to him, the GCAA had attributed its refusal to grant Air Peace three frequencies to inadequate slots in Sharjah airport, adding that instead of granting three, which the airline requested, the GCAA approved only one frequency weekly.
“The Nigerian Government was gracious to grant Emirates Airlines 21 frequencies it requested for. The airline wants to operate 14 weekly flights to Lagos and another seven weekly to Abuja airports.
“However, Air Peace only requested for three weekly flights to Sharjah, not even Dubai airport, but the CAA refused the airline. The CAA only approved one weekly frequency to the airline. The only excuse they gave was that they don’t have enough slots. Where is the justice in this? That is capital flight out of Nigeria. Nigeria should protect its own,” said Capt. Nuhu.
With the withdrawal, which takes effect from December 12, 2021, Emirates Airlines can now fly into Abuja (Nigeria) just once weekly on Thursdays, while its Lagos flight is suspended.
Going by the principle of reciprocity as enshrined in the Bilateral Air Services Agreement between Nigeria and the UAE, both Emirates Airlines and Air Peace have equal rights to operate the same number of frequencies and entry points, depending on their capacity.
But where one is denied and the other is granted, the essence of the agreement would have been defeated. Hence, the NCAA is right on this one.
