By Milcah Tanimu
Emirates will resume its services to Nigeria starting October 1, 2024. The airline will operate a daily service between Lagos and Dubai, providing customers with more travel options and connectivity from Nigeria’s largest city to Dubai and beyond.
The flights will be operated using a Boeing 777-300ER. Flight EK783 will depart Dubai at 0945hrs, arriving in Lagos at 1520hrs. The return flight, EK784, will leave Lagos at 1730hrs, arriving in Dubai at 0510hrs the next day. Tickets are now available for booking on the Emirates website or through travel agents.
Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, expressed excitement about the resumption, stating, “The Lagos-Dubai service has traditionally been popular with customers in Nigeria, and we hope to reconnect leisure and business travelers to Dubai and our network of over 140 destinations. We thank the Nigerian government for their partnership and support in re-establishing this route and look forward to welcoming passengers back onboard.”
With this resumption, Emirates will serve 19 gateways in Africa, offering 157 flights per week from Dubai. The airline’s extensive reach will be further enhanced through codeshare and interline partnerships with carriers such as South African Airways, Airlink, Royal Air Maroc, and Tunis Air.
Nigeria and the UAE have developed strong bilateral trade relations, with Lagos serving as a key commercial hub. The resumption of daily passenger flights will strengthen this relationship. Emirates SkyCargo, the airline’s cargo division, will provide more than 300 tonnes of weekly bellyhold cargo capacity in and out of Lagos. This service will support Nigerian businesses by exporting goods like Kola Nuts, food and beverages, and urgent courier materials to key markets such as the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Bahrain. In return, Emirates SkyCargo will import vital goods such as pharmaceuticals, electronics, and general cargo from markets like the UAE, India, and Hong Kong.
The Emirates Boeing 777-300ER serving the Lagos route will feature 8 First Class suites, 42 Business Class seats, and 304 Economy Class seats. Passengers can enjoy regionally inspired multi-course meals, a wide selection of premium beverages, and access to over 6,500 channels of global entertainment, including 23 Nigerian movies, on Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system, ice.