The United Kingdom has finally responded to the threat by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, to restrict its carriers out of Lagos and Abuja over its refusal to grant an Air Peace slot in Heathrow.
Keyamo had earlier at a conference in Lagos said he would write the UK authorities to allow Air Peace operate its Abuja-London flight to Heathrow as against Gatwick Airport where the airline operates to since it launched the flight from Lagos on March 31.
The Minister argued that since the British carriers – British Airways and Virgin Atlantic – were given Nigeria’s primary airports – the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA), Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; the UK government should also allow Air Peace to fly to Heathrow in line with the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA).
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In a letter, the Minister decried the persistent denial of Air Peace a slot in Heathrow despite efforts made by the airline.
While the Heathrow airport operates on slots sold to airlines, the Minister stated that the slot issue should not be “used as an alibi to deny the existence of a Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, which hallmark is based on the principle of reciprocity.”
But the UK through its Secretary of State for Transport, Louise Haigh, explained that Air Peace was denied access to Heathrow Airport because it submitted its requests for slots too late for both the Summer 2024 and Winter 2024/2025 seasons.
In a letter dated September 5, 2024, addressed to Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, Haigh explained that Air Peace’s request was received after the Airports Coordination Limited, ACL, had already completed the slot coordination process for the summer season.
According to the UK Official, Air Peace could either join the waitlist, operate from another airport, or acquire slots through slot trading and commercial arrangements with other carriers.
The letter reads in part: “We encourage Air Peace to continue to liaise with Airports Coordination Limited, ACL, on the process for acquiring ad-hoc and historic slots at the UK’s coordinated airports.
“ACL reports that Air Peace sent late requests for slots for the Summer 2024 season and the Winter 2024/2025 season; their requests were received after the slot coordination process had concluded for each season.
“Carriers can ensure they are in the best position to receive any available slots by following the correct processes.
“As you may be aware, Heathrow Airport is constrained by runway capacity and an Air Traffic Movement limit, which places downward pressure on the number of slots available in any operating season.
“For example, for the Summer 2024 season, a total of 290,580 slots were available, but the number of slots requested reached 319,721.
“This left 29,141 unfulfilled slot requests, which were placed on a waitlist to potentially receive slots returned to the pool.
“Gatwick Airport, the second busiest in the UK, offers many connections to Europe, Asia, and North America. It benefits from a direct, mainline rail connection to central London with comparable travel times to other London airports.
“Several carriers from different nations have developed substantial and successful operations at Gatwick Airport. The Department understands the position this puts new entrant carriers in.
“ACL advises that carriers have three options in this scenario: join the waitlist, operate from another airport as Air Peace has done, or acquire slots through slot trading and commercial arrangements with other carriers.”
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