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Emirates 'may cut flights to Africa'

DUBAI, October 19, 2016

Economic and financial challenges affecting Africa could spell doom for its aviation sector as international airlines, including Emirates, has concluded plans to reduce the frequency of its flights to African cities or cut routes completely, said a report.

The Dubai-based airline had rapidly increased its services in Africa as increased demand accompanied growing links between the Middle East and the continent.

However, foreign airlines flying to Nigeria have started to refuel abroad because jet fuel supplies have become more scarce and expensive as the West African nation contends with a shortage of hard currency, The Guardian reported

"In certain African countries, the currencies have really gone down, so we´re reflecting on a number of these to look at where it´s just not worth us travelling," Emirates president Tim Clark said on the sidelines of an International Air Transport Association event.

With the scarcity of foreign exchange and partial devaluation of the naira, last June, Emirates began to reduce flight operations, while the likes of Iberia and United Airlines, among others, withdrew services.

Some months ago, Emirates ran four flights daily on the Nigerian route, from Abuja and Lagos. News of the recent interruption now leaves the airline with once-a-day operations from Lagos.

The development might, however, not be exclusive to Nigeria, Clark said.




Tags: Emirates | Africa | Flights | plan | cut |

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