The dispute over Air Peace’s flight operations in the United Kingdom has escalated, with Festus Keyamo, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, formally lodging a complaint with his British counterpart.
In a letter dated August 1, 2024, addressed to Louise Haigh, the UK Secretary of State for Transport, Keyamo warned that if Air Peace is not granted a slot at London Heathrow, Nigeria may be compelled to “reciprocate” by denying British Airways and Virgin Atlantic access to slots at Lagos and Abuja airports, as reported by TheCables.
Although Heathrow is the UK’s main airport, Air Peace, the Nigerian airline, currently operates from Gatwick Airport, which is the secondary airport.
Despite repeated attempts, Air Peace has been unable to secure a slot at Heathrow, which is closer to central London.
TheCable confirms that in thhe letter, Keyamo expressed the Nigerian government’s “displeasure” over the UK slot office’s “consistent denial of a slot” for Air Peace on the Nigeria-London route to operate into Heathrow, its preferred choice, since it began UK operations in March 2024.
“The Airline had made consistent efforts in the past to fly into Heathrow Airport from Lagos, but was denied, and only granted approval to fly into Gatwick Airport from Lagos,” 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 the 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.”
He reminded the UK that both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are operating into Nigeria’s primary airports in Lagos and Abuja “without encumbrances placed in their ways”.
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British Airways, in particular, has been flying into Lagos since 1936.
“Therefore, 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,” Keyamo wrote.
“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, which 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 Bi-Lateral 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 the 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.”
TheCable confirmed that the letter has been received by the UK high commission in Abuja.
Keyamo was unavailable for comments when he was contacted by TheCable.
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