Emirates marks 15 years of doing business in Nigeria

In commemorating the 15th anniversary of doing business in Nigeria and playing in the Nigerian aviation space, Emirates said it would commence direct daily flights from Abuja, increasing its weekly flights on the Abuja-lagos route to 21 flights starting 2 June.

Since its first flight, Emirates has flown millions of passengers on the popular Nigerian route and has become the airline of choice for both premium and value-conscious Nigerian travelers. In response to increase traffic on the route, Emirates launched services to Abuja in 2014, 10 years after its inaugural flight to Nigeria.

Emirates now operates a double daily service to Lagos with the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, which offers eight private suites in First Class, 42 lie-flat seats in Business Class and 310 spacious seats in Economy Class. The airline operates four weekly flights to Abuja, which is set to become daily from 1 June.

Afzal Parambil, the regional manager, West Africa said “Emirates has enjoyed a strong relationship with Nigeria, and remains deeply committed to the market. Over the past 15 years, we have not only

seen our operations grow, but our product develop to cater to the taste and requirements of our Nigerian customers. We constantly strive to provide our passengers with an unforgettable travel experience, and our growth is a testament to the fact that we are on the right track,” said Parambil.

Recently, Emirates launched a pan-african brand advertising campaign that celebrated the talent and achievements of young Africans, taking the message of ‘New Africa’ to the world. Paying tribute to a new generation of African disrupters who are making their mark globally across music, fashion, literature and the arts. The campaign celebrates the cultural renaissance currently taking over Africa.

According to Parambil, the short films tell the stories of unique individuals from different parts of the continent who are poised to become cultural ambassadors for Africa to the world; they share a common passion to bring their global exposure and influences to their own local journeys, as they discover what it means to be ‘home’.

The campaign included Nigeria’s Abiola Oke who left New York and a career on Wall Street to return to his hometown Lagos, as the CEO and Publisher of Okayafrica; a digital media platform at the age of 31 with a business model that is focus and dedicated to African music, film, culture and entertainment.