Emirates Airlines on Friday shunned Nigeria as it announced the resumption of flight operations to and from Ghana and four African countries.

The airline had announced that travellers arriving from or who have been in Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia or Nigeria in the last 14 days are to be denied entry into the UAE from December 25, 2021. 

The measure included the suspension of all inbound flights and a ban on all transiting passengers from these countries. 

The move comes amid concerns over the COVID-19 Omicron variant and rising infection rates in the UAE.

Limited categories of travellers were exempted from the travel ban, including UAE nationals, their first-degree relatives, and staff of diplomatic missions, among others. 

However, the African countries where they resumed operations include Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Uganda and Angola.

“From January 13, 2022, Emirates will resume passenger services to and from Guinea (CKY), Cote d’Ivoire (ABJ), Ghana (ACC), Uganda (EBB) and Angola (LAD),” the airline said.

According to the report, passengers from Guinea, Uganda or Ghana must present a negative PCR test certificate conducted 48 hours before departure, including “a 06‑hours Rapid PCR with a QR code, and a PCR test on arrival in DXB,” adding that “test validity is calculated from the time the sample was collected”.

Passengers from Cote d’Ivoire and Angola are required to present a negative 72-hour-old PCR test and undergo another PCR test upon arrival in the UAE.

Dubai nationals and children under 12 years were exempted from the stipulated guidelines.