Emirates Airline has explained why the firm was granted concession to operate more flights into Lagos and Abuja in Nigeria.
The Airline gave the explanation in a statement on Tuesday in response to claims by the Airline Operators of Nigeria that Emirate was being given undue advantage over local airlines by the Nigerian authorities.
Emirates said: “We only operated extra flights to Abuja and Lagos for a very limited period, for the sole purpose of serving Nigerian pilgrims traveling to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Hajj.
“Some detractors like to claim that Emirates receives government subsidies and therefore represent unfair competition. But these allegations are patently false, and we have repeatedly debunked these myths over the years.
“Our audited financial reports for the past 20 years are published on our website for anyone to inspect, stressing that Emirates has always been run on a commercial basis.
“In fact, our success is driven by the very fact that we must stand on our own feet – which means we must keep winning over customers with the best possible services, while closely watching our costs so that we can return a profit to our shareholder.
“Emirates first started operations to Lagos in 2004, and we have since remained committed to Nigeria. During this time, we have helped facilitate trade between Nigeria and other international markets, and provided travellers coming into, or travelling from, Nigeria the option of enjoying the award-winning Emirates experience.
“We look forward to continue serving our customers in Nigeria, and to working with stakeholders to support the progressive development of tourism and trade.”
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