The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced a forthcoming codeshare agreement between Emirates Airlines and various Nigerian carriers on Wednesday.
This partnership is designed to boost Nigeria’s aviation sector by allowing local airlines to expand their service offerings.
A codeshare agreement enables one airline to market flights and place its code on another airline’s services, thereby offering carriers the opportunity to provide services to destinations outside their regular route networks.
Speaking to journalists after a joint meeting with Emirates officials at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Keyamo revealed that domestic airlines will have the right of first refusal in the upcoming agreements.
He emphasized that the government is working to benefit local aviation through these partnerships. “Emirates is already in talks with several of our local operators, which will strengthen our aviation industry,” Keyamo stated.
He noted that when Emirates previously suspended its operations, foreign airlines took advantage of the gap by increasing prices and flight frequencies due to limited seat availability.
He underscored Dubai’s importance as a global travel hub, making it a critical route for Nigerian travellers who can easily connect to other parts of the world from there.
In addition, the minister highlighted that under the Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASA) with the United Arab Emirates, domestic airlines can now fly to any UAE destination, and vice versa.
