The Federal Government of Nigeria is considering barring British Airways from operating at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos due to an ongoing dispute over airport slots in the United Kingdom. Currently, Nigeria’s top airline, Air Peace, is forced to use Gatwick Airport instead of Heathrow, the UK’s main international gateway.
On Friday, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo announced that his ministry had contacted the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to request that Air Peace be permitted to operate at Heathrow, in line with the reciprocity principle outlined in the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA).
Speaking at the 28th Annual Conference of the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) in Lagos, Keyamo criticized the situation, arguing that it is unfair to grant British Airways unrestricted access to MMIA while Nigerian airlines lack similar access to UK airports under the BASA agreement.
Keyamo noted that the Nigerian ministry is still awaiting a response from their UK counterparts and warned that failure to adhere to BASA agreements could lead to retaliatory measures from Nigeria. He pointed out the imbalance in international flight operations, with numerous foreign airlines such as Air France, Lufthansa, Delta, and United Airlines operating multiple flights to Nigeria, while Nigerian carriers have limited reciprocal routes. Even South African Airways operates flights to Nigeria without a Nigerian counterpart flying to South Africa.
Currently, Air Peace operates flights to London, but only to Gatwick. Efforts are underway to secure access to Heathrow. Keyamo criticized the idea of a “slot committee,” urging the UK to honor existing bilateral agreements.
“We have already requested that the United Kingdom grant Nigerian carriers, particularly Air Peace, access to Heathrow Airport, just as British Airways operates out of Lagos. If we can’t get that, we might as well consider granting BA flights to Ilorin. When we request Heathrow, being redirected to a slot committee is unacceptable. Air Peace is working to move from Gatwick to Heathrow,” Keyamo said.
He also highlighted the challenges faced by local operators who struggle with local routes, let alone international ones. “Air France comes here ten times a week, but we don’t fly to Paris; Lufthansa comes here, but we don’t go to Frankfurt. Delta and United from America also fly here, but we don’t reciprocate. South African Airways comes here, and we have no flights there,” Keyamo added.
News Editor