June 20, (THEWILL)- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has lifted the travel ban on Nigeria, India and South Africa.
An official document released over the weekend, from the Dubai Media Office indicated that passengers from Nigeria were expected to have received a negative result for a PCR test taken within 48 hours before departure.
In the document, these passengers are also expected to present a negative PCR test certificate with an OR code from laboratories approved by the Nigerian government, while also undergoing the same test upon arrival at the Dubai airport.
THEWILL recalls that Emirates Airlines had on February 1, 2021 directed that Nigerian travellers at the Lagos and Abuja airports must conduct rapid COVID-19 tests before departure.
Consequently, the Nigerian Government also banned Emirates flights into Nigeria.
The ban was, however, lifted after the airline agreed to stop the rapid antigen tests.
Later, the Federal Government reintroduced the ban on March 15, saying the airline rescinded the agreement.
On March 25, 2021, the UAE embassy in Abuja announced new COVID-19 travel protocols for Nigeria as measures to curtail the spread of coronavirus in the country, stating that passengers who had been in or transited through South Africa or Nigeria in the last 14 days before travelling to Dubai were barred from entering Dubai.
With the relaxing of the travel rules by the UAE, there are indications that movement of air passengers between the countries would be normalised.
Meanwhile, Emirates Airlines has announced that it would be resuming flight operations in Nigeria from June 23rd.
The airline in a statement issued weekend, stated that it welcomes the latest protocols and measures announced by Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management to allow the safe resumption of passenger travel from South Africa, Nigeria and India to Dubai.
According to the statement, “We look forward to facilitating travel from these countries and supporting various travellers’ categories. We will resume carrying passengers from South Africa, Nigeria and India in accordance with these protocols from 23rd June.
“We thank the Supreme Committee for their continuous efforts in monitoring the development of the situation and announcing the appropriate guidelines and protocols to protect the community and safeguard the travel sector.”
About the Author
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
