The return of Emirates Airlines, the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Nigeria last week after over two years of suspension of flight operations into the country was with fanfare.
Before its return on October 1, 2024, the Federal Government had made topnotch effort and preparation to receive Emirates back to Nigeria.
The preparation started with President Bola Tinubu’s visit to UAE in September 2023 where he met with Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE in Abu Dhabi, discussed and finalised numerous diplomatic issues.
Though, the Federal Government after the return of Tinubu from the trip, had disclosed that UAE had lifted the visa ban placed on Nigerian travellers in 2022 and that Emirates Airlines would resume flight operations immediately on the Nigerian routes, the claims, which were denied almost immediately by the UAE embassy in Nigeria.
However, despite the denials, Nigeria continued to push for the return of Emirates Airlines back to Nigeria through various diplomatic channels with Mr. Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development taking the lead from the aviation sector.
A few days to its resumption, Keyamo in a statement by its media aide, Mr. Tunde Moshood, said the minister was in the UAE to hold a strategic meeting with the aviation authorities of the country.
Besides, he said that the two countries have also re-emphasised the existing Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) arrangement between them, which gave unfettered access to each other’s main airports, stressing that the discussions further reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to fostering a balanced and forward-looking partnership with the UAE.
Definitely, the return of Emirates Airlines on the Nigerian routes would have some positive impacts on the country’s aviation industry, the travelling public, international investors between the two countries and boost revenue generations for Nigerian agencies, especially the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
The hysteria and excitement on the part of the government generated by the planned return of the airline was unprecedented for any foreign carrier operating into Nigeria.
On the sideline of the welcome ceremony organised for the airline by its Nigerian representative, JSP Communications, Keyamo in an interview with aviation journalists, disclosed that Emirates Airlines was in talks with some Nigerian airlines for a possible codeshare arrangement.
According to him, the new BASA arrangement gave the Nigerian airlines the right of “first refusal” in case of any codeshare agreement by the airline.
Though Keyamo did not mention the airlines the UAE carrier was in talk with, Emirates had in August 2014, had a partnership withArik Air, which collapsed a few months later.
Emirates and Arik Air have had a one-way interline agreement, whereby Emirates passengers were connected throughout Nigeria and West Africa via Arik Air’s current domestic and regional network.
On the planned codeshare arrangement, Keyamo said: ‘As I am speaking with you, they are speaking with many of our local operators and that is for the benefit of our local industry. We are also free to fly to any airport in the UAE.
“They have Sharjay, Etihad, Dubai and others. We insisted on that. I can bet you this is for the entire good of the Nigerian people.”
Experts Involvement in codeshare
However, aviation experts are cautioning the Federal government and the Nigerian airlines on entering a codeshare agreement with any foreign airlines, including Emirates Airlines.
Capt. Mohammed Badamasi, aviation expert, in an interview with our correspondent, advised the government and willing indigenous airlines to critically peruse such documents before putting pen to paper.
He also urged the government to involve aviation experts in such an agreement, saying that it required the involvement of industry professionals.
He said: “Whatever documents to be signed should be carefully studied by aviation experts in Nigeria to avoid loopholes in favour of Emirates Airlines.
“So often, we get too excited about innovation to get credit for being the first person to have achieved what others have not been able to achieve in the past. He (Keyamo) should not feel too big to consult Nigerians who know the nitty-gritty, advantages, and disadvantages of code-sharing.
“The minister should carry along experienced people in the industry, especially those who had worked with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and airlines ticketing.”
Besides, Grp. Capt. John Ojikutu (retd), aviation analyst, lauded the plan by Emirates Airlines to codeshare with Nigerian airlines.
Ojikutu also advised Keyamo to through policy, restrict foreign airlines to only one international airport in the country and encourage them to partner with Nigerian airlines for onward distribution of their passengers across the country.
Ojikutu also backed Badamasi’s position on involving staff of former national carrier, Nigeria Airways and foreign airlines in any codeshare or interlining agreement with foreign airlines, noting that these crops of professionals are knowledgeable in such negotiations.
He warned that any attempt by any of the country’s airlines to begin code-sharing outside their control area may lead to chaos in the future.
“Foreign airlines must now be restricted to Lagos or Abuja and not anymore to Lagos and Abuja airports. They may come as many times as they wish, but they must interline with the domestic airlines to transfer international passengers transiting to and from other airports to the airport of their choice,” he proposed.
Besides, Dr. Alex Nwuba, President, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Nigeria (AOPAN), congratulated Nigeria on the return of Emirates Airlines to Nigeria.
He declared that Emirates as an airline and as a market were both critical to the Nigeria air travellers, stressing that Nigerians could once again travel all over the world with flights out of the country via Dubai and other Emirates.
Capt. Samuel Caulcrick, former Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria mentioned code-sharing benefits to include enhancement of capacity building for local carriers, revenue sharing, which would increase financial stability for local airlines, improved knowledge for the indigenous airlines and healthy competition, which would foster industry growth.
Caulcrick, however, mentioned resistance from foreign carriers, local carriers’ capacity constraints, regulatory enforcement and market distortions as some of the potential challenges that could inhibit a successful codeshare arrangement.
According to him, codeshare or partnership arrangements with foreign airlines or organisations would be to the benefit of the Nigerian aviation industry, saying that this would lead to increased domestic and international connectivity, improved aviation infrastructure, enhanced safety standards and job creation and economic growth for the country.
He also emphasised that Ethiopian Airlines and Singapore’s Changi Airport are some of the success stories of codeshare and partnership arrangements.
For codeshare agreement to take place, Caulcrick pointed out that the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), willing local and foreign airlines and industry experts were key stakeholders that must be involved.
He added: “There is a need to conduct feasibility studies and impact assessments, engage stakeholders in policy development, establish a regulatory framework and monitor and evaluate implementation.
“By adopting a co-sharing model, Nigeria can foster a robust aviation industry, drive economic growth, and enhance connectivity.”
