The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has refuted claims it denied Air Peace landing slots in the Sharjah airport. 

This was disclosed in a letter addressed to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. 

Over the past week, President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime had inundated Nigerians with claims that Emirates was banned because the UAE declined to give Air Peace three slots.

But a letter from the UAE countered the claim saying that Air Peace was granted the three slots it requested and operated the three slots in the Sharjah airport until the airline willingly moved to the Dubai airport. 

The GCCA further noted that the slots belonging to Air Peace at the Sharjah Airport could no longer be maintained as it was not operational.  

“The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) presents its compliments to the Federal Ministry of Aviation (FMA) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and has the honour to refer to the letter Ref. No. NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/329 dated 9th December 2021, whereby the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) notified the country manager, Emirates Airline (EK), in Nigeria regarding the withdrawal of the ministerial approval granted to that airline with respect to their Winter Schedule,” explained the UAE. “The NCAA further advised EK that this withdrawal becomes effective on Sunday 12th December 2021 at 2300Z and hence, EK is granted approval to operate only one weekly passenger frequency to Abuja on Thursdays.”

The government claimed it gave Emirates 21 slots per week, 14 to Lagos and seven to Abuja. But when Air Peace sought slots in the UAE, it was only given one out of three it requested.

“The Nigerian government was gracious to grant Emirates Airlines 21 frequencies it requested. The airline wants to operate 14 weekly flights to Lagos and another seven weekly to Abuja airports,” Musa Nuhu, NCAA director-general, told Air Insight last week.

“However, Air Peace only requested three weekly flights to Sharjah, not even Dubai airport, but the GCAA refused the airline. It only approved one weekly frequency to the airline,” the NCAA boss added. “The only excuse they gave was that they don’t have enough slots. Where is the justice in this? That is the capital flight out of Nigeria. Nigeria should protect its own.” 

The GCAA highlighted that the NCAA’s decision “is totally unjustified especially, as it has come to our attention that their action is being taken against the background of Air Peace not securing all three slots at Sharjah Airport which they desire.” 

Air Peace initially operated at Sharjah Airport, shifted to Dubai Airport and then returned to Sharjah airport,” said the UAE letter. The GCAA further argued that “it would be unreasonable for an airline to expect any airport to maintain their slots when they ceased operating at that airport.”

The UAE letter stressed, “In this regard, we wish to kindly advise you that Sharjah Airport is currently operating at 140% slot capacity, but with goodwill and tremendous effort on their Side, this airport was able to accommodate Air Peace with one of the three slots that this airline requested.” 

The GCAA further reiterated that Nigeria’s vindictive ban would not align with the diplomatic agreements on air services between the two countries.  

“The GCAA wishes to stress that the action being taken by the NCAA is obviously not in line with the spirit of the agreed air services arrangements between our two nations,” added the letter. “As we are both aware, the relations between our two brotherly countries are vintage in nature, one hallmark being the recent visit of the President of Nigeria to the UAE, which certainly mirrored the status of these positive relations.”

Suing for an end to the crisis, the GCAA stated, “Finally, we suggest that Air Peace should consider flying their two other flights to any UAE airport at which there are available slots. As expected, the GCAA will support Air Peace in this activity, where required.”