Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, held an event in Lagos to recognise the services and ongoing partnerships of its top travel agents.

The event was the first to take place since the outset of the pandemic, and gathered the industry’s best, reaffirming the airline’s ongoing commitment to the market and its longstanding partnership with its travel trade partners and their respective agencies.

The event included Lagos’s most prominent travel agencies. The airline’s top management, led by Badr Abbas, Senior Vice President Commercial Operations in Africa, honoured the contribution of the travel agents to Emirates’ post-pandemic recovery in characteristic style and elegance. The event was also hosted by Paulos Legesse, Country Manager Nigeria and the Emirates team in Nigeria.

This special travel industry initiative is another clear demonstration of the strategic importance of the Nigerian market to Emirates.

Commenting on reconnecting in person with the travel industry for the first time since the outset of the pandemic, Badr Abbas said: “Emirates airline and Nigeria share a very special relationship that goes back to almost 20 years, and we have been connecting Nigerian travellers to a global network which now spans nearly 130 destinations, making it easier to connect with friends, family, trade and tourism opportunities.

“We have been eager to visit Nigeria, a market that is very important to us, to meet with the people that have supported us, even in the most difficult of times. Throughout this journey, you, our loyal travel agents have been an integral part of our rebuilding efforts, for which we are extremely grateful. We look forward to your continued support in the years ahead.”

He continued: “It has been a challenging two years for all of us, and together we are navigating the road to recovery, hopefully gaining an even stronger footing for the future. The word ‘Together’ is key and has always been for us at Emirates. Recovery is not a unilateral effort. It is through collaboration and meaningful partnerships that we move forward with recovery, and all collectively prepare to address the pent-up demand for travel to and from Nigeria and across our network.”

The airline also organised a workshop in Lagos for close to 60 travel trade partners, which aims to provide them with the latest updates and information on the airline, its route network and fleet in service, the ramp up of operations in both Lagos and Abuja, new routes for the airline globally, updates on its new Premium Economy product, up-to-date information on its customer and booking policies, the latest on Emirates Gateway partner portal, in addition to other topics.

Emirates currently operates 12 flights a week to two cities in Nigeria, Lagos, and Abuja. By 1 September, it will ramp up its operations to 21 weekly flights in line with increasing demand for international travel from the market.

Emirates flew over 19 million passengers across its network in the last financial year.

Emirates flyers can look forward to another distinctive Emirates travel experience as the airline unveils its full Premium Economy offering onboard and on ground, starting 1 August 2022.

The new cabin class, which offers luxurious seats, more legroom, and a service to rival many airlines’ business offerings, will be available to Emirates customers travelling on popular A380 routes.

Once onboard, customers will immediately notice the quiet luxury in Emirates’ Premium Economy cabin. A wood panel finishing similar to Business Class sets the cabin’s mood, and each seat is designed to provide optimal comfort and support with 6-way adjustable headrests.