Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo formally complained to UK authorities, emphasizing that Nigeria will reciprocate if Air Peace is further denied access to Heathrow Airport. In a letter dated August 1, 2024, addressed to Louise Haigh, Secretary of State for Transport, Keyamo warned that Nigeria might deny British Airways and Virgin Atlantic slots at Lagos and Abuja airports if the situation remains unresolved.
The letter expressed the Nigerian government’s displeasure over the UK Slot Office’s refusal to allocate slots at Heathrow to Air Peace, which began operations in the UK in March 2024.
In his formal complaint to UK authorities, Keyamo stated that Air Peace made consistent efforts to fly into Heathrow but was denied. He added that the airline received approval to operate flights from Lagos to Gatwick Airport instead of Heathrow.
Keyamo mentioned that after receiving approval to fly the Abuja-London route, Air Peace approached the Slot Office for Heathrow slots. He explained that the airline sought slot allocation at Heathrow for flights planned to start in November 2024 during the IATA Winter Season. Keyamo further expressed disappointment that Air Peace has not received any favorable response from the Slot Office despite ongoing efforts.
He reminded UK authorities that British Airways and Virgin Atlantic operate in Nigeria’s primary airports without facing similar challenges.
British Airways, in particular, has been flying into Lagos since 1936.
Keyamo formally complained to UK authorities, “it is necessary for Nigerian designated carriers to enjoy similar reciprocity that British carriers are. It is unfair of the British authorities and discredits Nigeria that slot allocation for Nigerian carriers remains problematic. We feel deeply betrayed by the British authorities for not reciprocating the goodwill shown by the Nigerian State and people. He stressed that UK authorities must not use the slot allocation issue to undermine the Bilateral Air Services Agreement’s reciprocity.
Keyamo warned that without Heathrow slots for Air Peace, British carriers might face access challenges to Nigeria’s tier-one airports.
During a July conference, Keyamo stressed that the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between the two countries demands reciprocity. He questioned why UK carriers fly prime Nigerian routes, while Nigerian airlines are relegated to second-tier airports.
Keyamo stated, “Lufthansa is coming here, but we are not going to Frankfurt. Delta and United are coming from America, but we are not going there. South Africa is coming here with no reciprocity. Meanwhile, we have managed to get to London Gatwick, and we are pushing for Heathrow. I am writing a letter to my counterpart in the UK. You can’t tell us you have a slot committee. If you are concessioning your airports to people, you need to respect your obligations. Tell those in your slot committee to respect BASAs.”
The Minister emphasized that without reciprocity, Nigerian airlines would struggle to achieve the necessary connectivity. Gaining access to Heathrow would enable local airlines to boost ticket sales and participate in code sharing with other carriers.
