Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has written to the UK’s Secretary of State for Transport, Louise Haigh, over the non-availability of slots for Nigeria’s flag carrier, Air Peace, at Heathrow airport.
Air Peace currently operates from Gatwick which is a second-tier airport, due to the fact that it was unable to get slots at Heathrow.
On July 26, the Minister who spoke at the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) seminar in Lagos said Nigeria would no longer allow a situation where the country’s airlines are not allowed to tier one airports overseas in line with the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA), saying the failure not to allow Air Peace into Heathrow may lead to Nigeria taking British Airways and Virgin Atlantic to second tier airports.
Fulfilling his threat, Keyamo wrote a letter dated August 1, 2024, which was addressed to Haigh, warning that if Air Peace is not allocated a space at London Heathrow, the federal government would be forced to deny Britain’s airlines’ slots at Lagos and Abuja airports.
He wrote, “Following the approval granted the airline by the Nigerian government to fly the Abuja-London route, the airline approached the Slot Office for slot allocation at London Heathrow Airport, for flight operations planned to commence in November 2024, during the IATA Winter Season. It is highly disheartening that up till this moment, the airline has not received any favourable response from the Slot Office.”
Reminding the UK that British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are operating into Lagos and Abuja without any hindrance, Keyamo said, “It is necessary for Nigerian designated carriers to enjoy similar reciprocity that British carriers are enjoying. It is highly unfair on the side of the British authorities and a discredit to the Nigerian authorities and the Nigerian nation as a whole, for slot allocation to Nigerian carriers to be an issue at all times. We feel totally betrayed by the British authorities for not reciprocating the good gesture of the Nigerian State and its people.
“The slot allocation issue should not be used as an alibi to deny the existence of a Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, whose hallmark is based on the principle of reciprocity. Whatever concessionary arrangements you have with your airports with third parties, the concessionaire(s) should legally inherit your existing obligations (especially those under Bilateral Services Agreements) in respect of the use of those airports.
“Arising from the foregoing, I wish to emphatically state that if Air Peace is not allocated a slot at London Heathrow Airport, it might be difficult for British flag carriers to access Nigeria’s tier-one airports from the next winter season unless when a frank discussion is opened with us to break the debacle associated with the slot allocation at Heathrow to the airline and other Nigerian designated airlines.
“While expecting your timely intervention over this pressing issue dear to the hearts of Nigerians, please accept the consideration of my warm regards.”
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