The ongoing dispute over Air Peace’s access to London Heathrow Airport has escalated as Festus Keyamo, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, formally lodged a complaint with his British counterpart, Louise Haigh, the UK Secretary of State for Transport.
In a letter dated August 1, 2024, Keyamo expressed Nigeria’s dissatisfaction with the UK’s refusal to allocate a landing slot at Heathrow for Air Peace, Nigeria’s national carrier. He warned that if the situation remains unresolved, Nigeria may reciprocate by denying British Airways and Virgin Atlantic access to prime slots at Lagos and Abuja airports.
Air Peace, which began operations in the UK in March 2024, currently flies into Gatwick, a secondary airport. Despite multiple efforts to secure a slot at Heathrow, which is closer to central London, the airline has been repeatedly denied.
Keyamo highlighted that British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have been operating in Nigeria without restrictions, noting that British Airways has been flying into Lagos since 1936. He emphasized that Nigerian carriers deserve the same level of reciprocity and access to tier-one airports, as stipulated in the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and the UK.
The Minister made it clear that if Air Peace is not granted a slot at Heathrow by the upcoming IATA Winter Season in November 2024, British carriers may face restrictions at Nigeria’s primary airports, with the potential to be relocated to less prominent airports like Ilorin or Kano.
The letter, which has been received by the UK High Commission in Abuja, marks a critical point in the diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the UK over aviation rights, with potential repercussions for both countries’ airlines.
