Stakeholders have called on the Federal Government and the United Kingdom to thread softly over the imminent face-off that may occur should Abuja make good its threat to relocate Virgin Atlantic and British Airways out of Lagos and Abuja airports if Air Peace is not given slots at London Heathrow Airport.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, as part of the efforts to make the UK authorities grant the Nigerian carrier space at its premier airport, which slot system is handled by Airport Coordination Limited (ACL), an independent slot coordinator in which the UK government has no input and is subject to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) guidelines had written to the UK government.
On August 1, 2024, Keyamo, issued an ultimatum to the UK government, setting the stage for a potential stand-off between the two nations in the aviation sector.
He made it clear that unless the Nigerian airline, Air Peace, was granted the much-coveted landing slots at London Heathrow Airport, BA and Virgin Atlantic could face the possibility of being denied access to Nigeria’s major international gateways—Lagos and Abuja.
The minister’s warning was contained in a letter to UK Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh and reflects Nigeria’s growing determination to ensure fair treatment for its airlines on the global stage, emphasizing that the nation’s aviation sector can no longer be sidelined in key international markets, especially as Air Peace has been forced to fly to Gatwick Airport.
Not a few believe that this move could disrupt the long-standing operations of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, two of the most prominent international carriers servicing Nigeria.
The stakeholders said Heathrow cannot be explicitly mentioned in the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA)as it falls outside the purview of the Department of Transport and that given the UK government’s lack of involvement in airport slot allocation, Air Peace must independently address this issue.
Aviation Security Consultant and Former Commandant, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Group. Capt. John Ojikutu (Rtd) said the UK government plays no part in airport slot allocation. So, the onus was on Air Peace to fight this battle.
“The politics is complicated. It is a matter of fact that considerable debt for Nigerian airlines that operated in London remains as they still owe large sums of money to UK airports. By failing to acknowledge the truth of our circumstances and also the fact that it is our fault that we are not taking full advantage of the BASA, we do ourselves no favours, “he said.
Aviation Expert, Amos Akpan, said that while potential disruptions to travellers and businesses are a concern, the Minister’s actions aims to level the playing field and ensure fair competition between Nigerian and British carriers.
He said the Minister’s proposal to relocate BA and Virgin Atlantic operations away from Lagos and Abuja should be carefully considered because of its potential consequences.
Akpan cautioned that the move may bring about diplomatic tension between both nations that may arrive from such action.
“The Minister of Aviation has demonstrated his readiness to defend the interest of our airlines and it is within his right or power to write the letter to his UK counterpart, threatening to stop BA and Virgin Atlantic from Lagos and Abuja airports until Air Peace is given a slot in UK. Doing this will cause a huge disruption in travel on the lucrative routes for BA, Virgin Atlantic and Air Peace.”
Seeking the best way out of the logjam, Akpan called for an urgent meeting of Heathrow ACL, NCAA, UK CAA and Air Peace to work out modalities for resolution.
“Limiting Air Peace to Gatwick while BA and VA operate Lagos and Abuja and Heathrow violates the principle in the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between the UK and Nigeria. This restriction to Gatwick harms Air Peace’s potential commercial viability on the London route. It does not position Air Peace to be competitive with BA and VA on the route.
“Reciprocity is the cardinal principle in BASA. If the BASA is not specific about Heathrow, Lagos and Abuja as the designated entry ports for carriers between the UK and Nigeria, then our minister can use the reallocation to other airports in Nigeria.
“This action may throw up unpleasant consequences like a diplomatic row. The worst may be a discomfort to travellers and traders that use London Heathrow Airport as their gateway and transit. But they are the reason for the struggle in the first instance. The minister’s action will pressure the British Aviation authorities to also pressure the Heathrow airport slot coordinators to find slots for Air Peace,” Akpan said.
President of Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Dr. Alex Nwuba, said a resolution that secures Heathrow slots for Air Peace was crucial for the growth of the Nigerian aviation industry.
