Emirates set to upgrade Lagos services

Emirates Airline said on Wednesday it is planning to upgrade services to Nigeria on the back of strong passenger and cargo demand.

The Dubai airline said it will upgrade one of its Lagos flights to a Boeing 777-300, making both dailies serviced by Boeing 777s.

The Airbus 340-500 currently deployed on one of Lagos’ two daily flights, EK781, will be replaced with a larger Boeing 777-300ER from December 1, giving a 48 percent boost to seat capacity.

“Deploying a Boeing 777 on the Dubai-Lagos route demonstrates the strong demand from travellers to fly with Emirates and experience our superior products and services,” said Jean Luc Grillet, senior vice president of Commercial Operations for Africa.

“The aircraft upgrade will open up more seats to our customers travelling to and from Nigeria and further raise Emirates’ contribution to Nigeria’s economy.”

“With the introduction of this larger aircraft, we will offer over 10,000 seats every week to and from Lagos,” Grillet added.

Nigeria has been part of Emirates’ route network since January 2004, when services were launched between Dubai and Lagos with four flights a week.

The Boeing 777-300ER is the backbone of the Emirates fleet, with 91 in service and a further 72 on order.

Emirates has a fleet of 189 aircraft and is the world’s largest A380 and Boeing 777 operator, flying to 126 destinations in 74 countries.