The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called out the Nigerian government for failing to repatriate over $464million belonging to foreign airlines.
IATA made the call in a statement issued on Thursday.
Emirate Airlines had announced the suspension of its flights to Nigeria from September 1st, 2022, with other foreign airlines threatening to follow suit.
Reacting to this, the global trade association of airlines expressed its disappointment in the Nigerian government, while urging them to prioritize the release of funds before more damage is done.
“IATA is disappointed that the amount of airline money blocked from repatriation by the #NIGERIAN government grew to $464 million in July.
“IATA’s many warnings that failure to restore timely repatriation will hurt Nigeria with reduced air connectivity are proving true with the withdrawal of @emirate from the market.
“Airlines can’t be expected to fly if they can’t realize revenue from ticket sales. Loss of connectivity harms the economy, hurts investor confidence, impacts jobs and people’s lives. The Government of Nigeria needs to prioritize the release funds before more damage is done,” IATA tweeted.
