NEWS
Meet Nigerian-born pilot who flew first Emirates airplane back to Nigeria following two-year break
On Tuesday, Captain Mohammed Madugu, a Nigerian-born pilot, was at the helm as Emirates Airlines made its long-awaited return to Nigeria, marking the end of a two-year hiatus.
Emirates, the UAE’s flagship carrier, had suspended its flights to Lagos and Abuja on September 30, 2022, citing the inability to repatriate trapped funds totaling over $80 million. The suspension was further compounded by the UAE’s imposition of a visa ban on Nigerians, which halted flights between the two countries, including those operated by Air Peace and other airlines.
Resolving the diplomatic standoff between Nigeria and the UAE became a priority for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with significant efforts led by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo. Following the Nigerian government’s clearance of about $900 million in trapped funds for foreign airlines and a series of negotiations with Emirates, the airline announced in May that it would resume operations to Nigeria starting October 1, a date coinciding with Nigeria’s Independence Day.
At approximately 3:32 p.m. local time, an Emirates Boeing 737-300ER touched down at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, signaling the airline’s official return to the country.
In a gesture of symbolism and pride, Captain Mohammed Madugu, a Nigerian, was in the cockpit for the historic flight, accompanied by his fellow crew members, representing a meaningful moment in the resumption of the airline’s operations in Nigeria.
Madugu gleefully posted a video of his landing at the MMIA on Tuesday with the caption on his X page (formerly Twitter): “A great plane spotter got my landing into lagos today. Landed off an RNAV approach today as the ILS was on test. Watching this video you’ll realize the amount of work the Emirates training department does on their pilots. Alhamdulillah.”
He had earlier announced on his X that it was an honour for him to operate the inaugural return flight to Lagos.
“A very special day for me today, I have the honor of operating our inaugural return flight to Lagos, Nigeria 🇳🇬 @LOSairport . Today I’ll be flying both the Emirates and Nigerian flag very high 🇦🇪 🇳🇬 ! Thank you, Emirates A flight time of slightly over 8hours today. #EkoOniBaje,” he wrote.
