By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Nigeria and the United Arab
Emirates are set to deepen aviation cooperation following high-level
discussions between Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development,
Festus Keyamo, and senior executives of Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi.
The engagements focused on
strengthening bilateral aviation relations and identifying opportunities for
greater cooperation in connectivity, investment, technical development,
training, technology and air cargo.
A key outcome of the
discussions was confirmation of the final steps towards Etihad Airways’ return
to Nigeria, with daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Lagos expected to commence
on March 18, 2027.
The planned service is
expected to strengthen air connectivity between Nigeria and the UAE while
creating additional opportunities for tourism, trade, investment and business
travel.
Beyond the resumption of
flights, the discussions explored a broader strategic partnership between
Nigeria and Etihad covering aviation investment, technical cooperation,
workforce development, technology and cargo operations.
As part of the engagement,
Keyamo visited Etihad Aviation Training to examine opportunities for knowledge
transfer, professional development and capacity building for Nigeria’s aviation
workforce.
The minister also visited
Zayed International Airport, where he examined airport operations, passenger
services, technology and infrastructure development.
