Victor EzejaAfter a series of diplomatic exchanges with the United Kingdom aviation authorities, the Nigerian government has finally secured a slot at the coveted Heathrow Airport in London for its leading flag carrier, Air Peace.
This was confirmed on Saturday in a post on X by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelKeyamo said the landing and departure slot for Air Peace was secured through insistence of the Federal Government on the enforcement of its reciprocal rights under the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA).
“My dear compatriots, after many months of diplomatic exchanges and shuttles, insisting on our reciprocal rights under our Bilateral Air Services Agreement, we are pleased to announce that Nigeria has finally secured the coveted Heathrow slot for one of our flag carriers, Air Peace,” Keyamo stated via his official X account on Saturday, 21 June.
The minister emphasised that the Federal Government is committed to offering similar support to other domestic airlines as a way of promoting local businesses in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“We are committed to offering similar support to all our local operators, which is one of the focal points of the Renewed Hope Agenda of @officialABAT.
“We are also committed to ensuring that whilst we support their businesses to grow, we hold them to the highest standards in terms of delivering quality services to the flying public,” the minister added.
According to a statement released on Sunday in Abuja by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Mr. Tunde Moshood, Air Peace will begin direct flights from Abuja to London’s Heathrow Airport on 26 October.
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According to the statement, the minister had earlier sent a letter dated 1 August 2024 to the UK Secretary of State for Transport, Rt. Hon. Louise Haigh, and demanded the allocation of landing slots for Air Peace at Heathrow.
In the letter, Keyamo said reciprocal action would be taken under the BASA provisions if the UK authorities failed to respond.
The statement said the minister’s reciprocal action included a potential review of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic’s access to Lagos and Abuja airports.
It said that following months of discussions and relentless diplomatic efforts, Nigeria’s demand was granted by UK authorities, giving Air Peace the eagerly expected Heathrow slot.
This development comes more than a year after Air Peace began its direct flight from Lagos to Gatwick in London.
Prime Business Africa had reported that Air Peace launched its inaugural flight from Lagos to London on 30 March 2024.
The airline’s entry into the route caused a significant disruption in the market in terms of the prices of air tickets. Previously operated exclusively by foreign airlines at a high rate, Air Peace slashed the price of tickets, sparking intense competition among the airlines operating the route.
Despite the hurdles, the airline continued to expand its operations, while enjoying massive patronage from Nigerian travellers and other foreign nationals.
Air Peace Chairman, Dr Allen Onyema, said the Abuja-London Heathrow flight service will open up international access to Nigerians outside Lagos.
According to him, the airline plans seven weekly flights to London -four to Heathrow and three to Gatwick, “depending on market demand,” he added.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
