Travel ban: UAE rescinds decision, grants Air Peace seven slots in Dubai

The United Arab Emirates has reversed its decision to ban flights from Nigeria as the country’s aviation authorities granted Nigerian airline, Air Peace, seven slots. 

There had been bickering between the two countries after UAE restricted flights from Nigeria to  Sharjah Airport and reduce the number of weekly flights into the country to three.

The UAE has also permitted it to fly directly to Dubai instead of Sharjah Airport.

This comes after the back and forth which started with Emirates suspending its flight operations to Nigeria indefinitely in response to a restriction by the Nigerian government limiting its flights to the country to just once a week.

The UAE addressed a letter signed by the Director-General of General Civil Aviation Authority, Mohammed Ahli, directly to Air Peace, offering the airline to fly directly to Dubai and not Sharjah Airport that it had earlier requested.

It said the slots have been made available for Air Peace as a gesture of goodwill and in support of the relations between the two countries.

“The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority presents its compliments to the honourable management of Air Peace, Nigeria,” the letter said.

“Your Excellency, relations between our two countries go a long way back and we value these relations immensely. We surely wish to facilitate easy and safe travel for the people, between our two brotherly countries.

“We write in reference to Air Peace’s possible/intended operations to/from Dubai Airports (OX8). We have received information from Dubai Airports, with regard to slot availability at OX8Terminal 1 and as a gesture of goodwill and in support of UAE and Nigeria relations, in case Air Peace wish to start their flights, slots have been blocked by Dubai Airports…”