The face-off over flight slots between Nigeria and United Arab Emirates, UAE, is coming to an end as the UAE authority gave Nigeria flag carrier, Air Peace, seven flight slots to Dubai. UAE had earlier refused to give Air Peace the three slots it requested for and only granted approval for the airline to come to Sharjah airport once a week. The Nigeria government reacted by withdrawing the 21 slots earlier approved for Emirates and in its place, also approved only one weekly flight slot for Emirates.
While making the peace move UAE Civil Aviation Authority in a letter dated December 13th, to the Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Allen Onyema titled, “Operations of Air Services between Dubai and Nigeria”, signed by the DCAA Director-General, Mohammed A. Ahli said that, “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”. The letter further said, ‘We write in reference to Air Peace’s possible/intended operations to/from Dubai Airports (DXB). We have received information from Dubai Airports with regard to slot availability at DXB –Terminal 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 as A0540LT D0800LT- All days except day six.”
“We would highly appreciate if Air Peace could kindly reach out to Dubai Airports-ACL and inform them of their intentions to operate by Thursday, December 16th, 2021, and accordingly confirm the blocked slots”. The UAE authority further said that the Dubai Airports have also confirmed that dnata-,the ground handling agents at Dubai, had sent the ground handling quotations to Mrs. Reham Mustafa-Country Manager, Emirates. Emirates Flight Catering also said is working on the quotation and ” should send it out latest by tomorrow morning (Today) to Air Peace. The authority concluded by saying they “look forward to Air Peace operating with utmost confidence to/from Dubai at the soonest.”
