Keyamo Warns UK Over Air Peace Heathrow Snub

Keyamo Confronts UK Over Air Peace Ban

“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..."

Nigerian Minister Keyamo defends Air Peace's rights, citing reciprocity, as UK airlines face landing restrictions; experts and industry leaders weigh in on diplomatic row.

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, protested Heathrow Airport's denial of landing rights to Air Peace in a letter to UK authorities on August 1.

The formal complaint to the UK's Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh, objected to Heathrow Airport's refusal to grant Air Peace a landing slot.

Keyamo warned that if Air Peace is denied landing rights, Nigeria will reciprocate by restricting British Airways and Virgin Atlantic's access to Lagos and Abuja airports.

Although Heathrow is the UK's primary airport, Air Peace currently operates out of Gatwick, a secondary airport.

Heathrow Airport, a major hub in the UK, is equivalent to Nigeria's premier airports, Murtala Muhammed (Lagos) and Nnamdi Azikiwe (Abuja), while Gatwick Airport is similar to Enugu International Airport, a smaller Nigerian airport.

Air Peace's bids to secure a Heathrow slot, offering closer access to central London, have been repeatedly rebuffed.

Nigeria and the UK are parties to the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA), a pact facilitating the mutual recognition of Civil Aviation Certifications.

BASA streamlines certification, prevents redundant evaluations, and promotes aircraft trade while maintaining safety standards.

BASA enables equal landing rights and flexible airport management.

Experts question whether Nigeria-UK BASA prioritizes cities over airports.

The Nigeria-UK BASA promotes safety, economic growth, and flexibility in airport management.

It has been pointed out that Heathrow Airport's specific inclusion in the agreement is not feasible, given the Department of Transport's restricted authority and the UK government's non-interventionist stance on airport slot allocation.

Air Peace is therefore recommended to pursue the matter independently, rather than seeking escalated government involvement, as slot allocation falls outside governmental jurisdiction.

The diplomatic tensions between the two nations have escalated following the revelation by Airport Coordination Limited, the UK's independent slot allocation authority, that Air Peace neglected to meet two pivotal deadlines for submitting landing slot requests.

This oversight has introduced additional complexities to the situation, raising concerns about the airline's capacity to establish a presence at one of the world's most congested airports, Heathrow.

He stated that the airline would like to avoid involvement in the issue, noting: “It is important to note that we have done due diligence in ensuring that we get a slot, but they were claiming the crowd was too much for them.

“Only for us to now start hearing that they claimed that we did not apply for two seasons.

“The same you that initially claimed no slots were owing to the crowd?

“Just like I said earlier, we have done due diligence and we will continue to do what is right.

“We pray that God backs the minister to help us get the desired slots from them.”

The Nigerian government has continued to allow UK-registered aircraft to operate flights into Nigeria's major airports, despite the UK's refusal to grant Air Peace similar privileges at Heathrow.

Minister Festus Keyamo expressed his disapproval of this situation in a letter, criticizing the UK's stance on the matter while Nigeria maintains a more accommodating approach.

As stated in the letter, in pertinent part: “The consistent denial of slot by the UK slot office to Air Peace on the Nigeria-London route to fly into Heathrow, its first choice, since it began operations in the UK in March 2024.

“The airline had made consistent efforts in the past to fly into Heathrow Airport from Lagos but was denied, and only approved to fly into Gatwick Airport from Lagos.

“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.”

Minister Keyamo highlighted to the UK that British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have been operating seamlessly in Nigeria, with flights into Lagos and Abuja proceeding without any issues.

He noted that British Airways, in particular, has a long-standing presence in Nigeria, having served Lagos since 1936, underscoring the airline's enduring relationship with the country.

“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 betrayed by the British authorities for not reciprocating the good gesture of the Nigerian State and its people,” Keyamo wrote.

The Minister advised the UK airport authority to refrain from utilizing the slot allocation matter as a justification for neglecting its obligations under the bilateral Air Services Agreement between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, which is predicated on mutual reciprocity.

A junior staff member at Air Peace, who wished to remain unnamed due to lack of authorization to speak on behalf of the company, revealed, “It's clear that the management is troubled by this diplomatic row between the UK and Nigeria.”

“But we are only taking solace in the possibility that the matter may be resolved before the deadline given.”

The President of the Association of Foreign Airlines and Representatives in Nigeria (AFARN), Dr. Kingsley Nwokoma, expressed support for Minister Keyamo's stance, highlighting the principle of reciprocity in airport access, whereby UK airlines' utilization of Nigeria's primary airports should be reciprocated with similar access for Nigerian carriers in the UK.

Dr. Nwokoma further advocated for a diplomatic solution, encouraging both countries to pursue constructive engagement and dialogue to resolve the issue, rather than adopting retaliatory measures.

He said, “If they are enjoying our best airport since we do not have a national carrier, our current national flag carrier should be allowed to fly to their own best airports too.

“This is not rocket science.

“Both Nigeria and the UK are parties to BASA. So, why shouldn't our flag carrier be allowed to land at their best airport?

“This once happened between Air Peace and the UAE and the Nigerian government sat with them and things were resolved so, I want to advise that the same tactics be employed to resolve this matter.”

Captain John Okakpu, a seasoned commercial pilot with three decades of expertise, endorsed Minister Keyamo's decisive action to withhold landing privileges from British Airways and Virgin Atlantic until Air Peace receives equivalent access.

Captain Okakpu referenced a precedent set during General Sani Abacha's administration, wherein UK-based carriers were prohibited from operating in Nigeria following their refusal to grant Nigeria Airways landing rights at a prominent UK airport.

“If they refused to allow Air Peace to land in Heathrow, the minister should also banish the airlines to maybe Enugu or even Ibadan.

“Abacha stopped them from coming to our country at a time.

“They should also feel what we are feeling.

“Why should they have 21 frequencies to Nigeria and the less than seven we have, they won't still allow us to complete it even as Nigeria's flag carrier?

“At least Arik is not as sophisticated as Air Peace and they go to Heathrow. What is the meaning of all these?

“Can you imagine what Nigerians go through when their cargoes get to Gatwick?

“They always have to transport it to Heathrow after paying so much for airlifting from their primary destination, which cannot continue.

“When passengers are going to the U.S. from Nigeria, they will be taken to Gatwick and then transported back to Heathrow before getting their connecting flight to the U.S.

“So why should Nigerians go through this unnecessary pain and extra spending?” he asked.