Two weeks after Emirates Airline, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) carrier, suspended flight operations to its routes in Nigeria, Air Peace, the country’s sole operator to Dubai has followed suit.
The airline, in a statement by its communications manager, Mr. Stanley Olisa, on Monday afternoon said the airline suspended direct flights to the UAE till further notice due to the non-issuance of entry visas to Nigerians.
The airline said the suspension of its three weekly flights to the UAE would take effect from Tuesday, November 22, 2022.
“This is consequent upon the persisting non-issuance of visas to Nigerian travellers by the government of the United Arab Emirates and the accompanying inconveniences.
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Air Peace has been operating into the UAE even with the country’s recent travel restrictions, but given the heightening hurdles Nigerian travellers are facing in accessing the country, it has become imperative that we halt our operations to that destination.”
“Passengers whose flights are affected by this development can mail our Call Center Team- callcenter@flyairpeace.com- to attend to their concerns.”
This is not the first time Air Peace has operated in Dubai and suspended flight services to the route.
Air Peace began services to the Middle Eastern nation in July 2019, but at that time flying to Sharjah rather than Dubai.
In the last year, Air Peace had suspended flight services to Dubai at least thrice. The airline only returned to direct flight services to the Middle Eastern country in April 2022.
About two weeks ago, Emirates Airline announced the suspension of flight operations to Nigeria over its inability to repatriate trapped funds and non-issuance of visas to Nigerians. That was the second time in less than two months the airline would be halting flight operations in Nigeria.