Aviation authorities in the United Arab Emirates have given seven slots to Nigerian airline, Air Peace, backing off from an earlier confrontation that threatened relations between both countries.
The authority also permitted it to fly directly to Dubai instead of Sharjah Airport it had earlier requested three frequencies.
This comes after the back and forth which started with Emirates suspending its flight operations to Nigeria indefinitely in response to a restriction by the Nigerian government limiting its flights to the country to just once a week.
The UAE addressed a letter signed by the Director General of General Civil Aviation Authority, Mohammed Ahli, directly to Air Peace, offering the airline to fly directly to Dubai and not Sharjah Airport that it had earlier requested.
It said the slots have been made available for Air Peace as a gesture of goodwill and in support of the relations between the two countries.
“The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority presents its compliments to the honorable management of Air Peace, Nigeria,” the letter said.
“Your Excellency, relations between our two countries go a long way back and we value these relations immensely. We surely wish to facilitate easy and safe travel for the people, between our two brotherly countries.
“We write in reference to Air Peace’s possible/intended operations to/from Dubai Airports (OX8). We have received information from Dubai Airports, with regard to slot availability at OX8Terminal 1 and as a gesture of goodwill and in support of UAE and Nigeria relations, in case Alr Peace wish to start their flights, slots have been blocked by Dubai Airports as detailed below.
Slots available and blocked for Air Peace are the following:
A0S40LT DOBOOLT = All days
and
A0S10LT DOSOOLT – without day 6
“As these slots cannot be blocked indefinitely, we would highly appreciate if Air Peace could kindly reach out to Dubai AirportsACL and inform them of their intentions to operate by Thursday 16 December, 2021 and accordingly confirm the blocked slots.
“Dubai Airports have also confirmed that dnata — the ground handling agents at DXB have sent the ground handling quotation to Ms. Reham Mustafa — Country Manager and also, Emirates Flight Catering is working on the quotation and should send it out latest by tomorrow morning.
“For landing permissions, they could contact our Air Transport Section as detailed below:
“Landing Permissions: air.transport@dcaa.gov.ae
“We look forward for Air Peace to operate with utmost confidence to/from DXB at the soonest.
“Dubai Civil Aviation Authority avails itself of the opportunity to renew to the honorable management of Air Peace, the assurances of its highest consideration and reiterates its support at all times.”
