The Nigerian Federal Government is contemplating barring British Airways from operating at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos due to a disagreement over airport slots in the United Kingdom.
Currently, Air Peace, Nigeria’s leading airline, is required to fly to Gatwick Airport instead of Heathrow, the UK’s primary airport.
On Friday, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, revealed that the ministry had approached the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to request that Air Peace be allowed to operate at Heathrow Airport in line with the reciprocity principle stated in the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA).
At the 28th Annual Conference of the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) in Lagos, Keyamo argued that it was inequitable to permit British Airways unrestricted access to Nigeria’s busiest airport, MMIA, while Nigerian airlines were denied similar privileges in the UK under the BASA agreement. He noted that the Nigerian ministry is still waiting for a response from the UK authorities.
Keyamo emphasized the need for countries to honor BASA agreements with Nigeria and warned that failing to do so could prompt retaliatory actions from the Nigerian government. He pointed out the disparity in international flight operations, noting that many international airlines, such as Air France, Lufthansa, Delta, and United Airlines, operate multiple flights to Nigeria, while Nigerian airlines do not reciprocate these routes. He also mentioned that 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 ongoing to secure access to Heathrow. Keyamo criticized the concept of a “slot committee” and urged the UK to respect existing bilateral agreements.
“We have written to the United Kingdom to grant Nigerian carriers, particularly Air Peace, access to Heathrow Airport, just as British Airways uses our Lagos airport,” Keyamo said.
“If not, we might consider giving British Airways Ilorin instead of Lagos. When we requested Heathrow Airport, they directed us to a slot committee. Who does that? Air Peace is on its way to Heathrow, moving away from Gatwick.
“Our local operators are struggling to cover their domestic routes, let alone international ones. Air France comes here ten times a week; we are not flying to Paris. Lufthansa operates here, but we do not fly to Frankfurt. Delta and United from America come here, but we do not reciprocate. Even South African Airways flies here, but we are not flying there.
“We have only managed to get Air Peace to London, specifically Gatwick, but we are striving for access to Heathrow. You cannot tell us about a slot committee. Your airport operator should recognize and respect the existing relationship.
“For connectivity, people prefer Heathrow. It is an airport where airlines can codeshare, ensuring better connectivity.”
