Emirates resumes flights between Dubai and Nigeria

The airline will fly daily to Lagos and Abuja from Saturday, with travellers undergoing on-arrival Covid-19 testing

Emirates is resuming daily flights from Dubai to Nigeria's Lagos (pictured) and Abuja. Photo: Unsplash / Nupo Deyon Daniel

Emirates is resuming flights between Dubai and Nigeria.

The Dubai airline will begin flying to the cities of Lagos and Abuja from Saturday.

From Dubai International Airport, Emirates will operate to Lagos at 10.30am every day, arriving in Nigeria's largest city at 3.40pm. The return flight is scheduled to depart Lagos just after 6pm, landing in the UAE at about 4am.

To Abuja, daily flights will depart Dubai at 11am, landing in Nigeria's capital at 3.40pm. And Dubai-bound flights will leave Nigeria at 7pm with passengers landing in the UAE at 4.35am the next day.

Economy class return fares on Emirates cost from Dh2,500 to Abuja and from Dh2,145 to Lagos.

Travel rules from Nigeria to Dubai

Passenger services between the UAE and Nigeria have been subject to restrictions since March.

In addition to PCR testing before departure and on arrival, travellers from Nigeria arriving in Dubai were requested to take a rapid antigen test.

"Today we received communications from Emirates removing some of the conditions for travelling for which we had concerns," the minister of state for aviation, Hadi Sirika, told Reuters.

Antigen tests are no longer required for passengers flying to Dubai from Nigeria, however, Covid-19 PCR tests remain mandatory.

These tests are required for all travellers flying to Dubai, irrespective of the country they are flying from.

Anyone coming from Nigeria must hold a negative Covid-19 PCR test certificate for a test taken no more than 72 hours before departure. The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control has specified designated laboratories for passengers flying out of Nigeria and travellers must obtain their certificate from one of the labs listed here to be accepted on the flight.

All travellers from Nigeria will then have to take a Covid-19 PCR test on arrival at Dubai International Airport. This is provided free of charge.