UK to discuss Air Peace’s Heathrow slot amid Nigeria’s retaliation threats

The UK Department for Transport has expressed its willingness to discuss Air Peace’s ongoing slot allocation issues at Heathrow Airport during an upcoming International Civil Aviation Negotiations (ICAN) event in October 2024.

This development follows a diplomatic exchange between Festus Keyamo, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, and UK Secretary of State for Transport, Louise Haigh, after the Nigerian government raised concerns over Air Peace’s inability to secure landing slots at London’s Heathrow.

Haigh’s response to Keyamo’s letter, dated September 5, 2024, outlined the UK’s readiness to address the issue, acknowledging the significance of air services between the two countries.

“We consider the social, economic, and political links between our two countries to be vital,” she wrote. Haigh emphasized that continued international connectivity is crucial for the prosperity of both nations, signaling her openness to discussions on Air Peace’s Heathrow access.

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This diplomatic exchange comes after Nigeria threatened to reciprocate by restricting UK carriers, such as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, from obtaining slots at Lagos and Abuja airports if Air Peace is not granted slots at Heathrow.

Air Peace began operations to London in March 2024, using Gatwick Airport as its base. However, the Nigerian government has expressed dissatisfaction, with Keyamo pointing out that Heathrow was the airline’s preferred airport.

In an earlier letter dated August 1, 2024, Keyamo stated that if Air Peace continued to face slot denials, Nigeria would have no choice but to block UK carriers from accessing key Nigerian airports.

In her letter, Haigh explained that Air Peace’s late applications for Heathrow slots for both the Summer 2024 and Winter 2024/2025 seasons were submitted after the slot coordination process had concluded. Despite this, she outlined several avenues Air Peace could explore to secure future slots, including joining the waitlist or acquiring slots through trading and commercial arrangements with other carriers.

Haigh further detailed the immense demand for Heathrow slots, with more than 319,721 slot requests submitted for the Summer 2024 season alone, exceeding the available 290,580 slots due to capacity limitations at the airport.

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This shortage has led to more than 29,000 unfulfilled slot requests from airlines worldwide, including Air Peace, which has opted to operate out of Gatwick, the UK’s second-busiest airport.

The UK transport secretary also pointed out that while Gatwick offers extensive global connections and a direct rail link to central London, Air Peace has additional options to pursue, including continuing negotiations with Airport Coordination Limited (ACL) to secure ad-hoc or historical slots at Heathrow.

This exchange highlights ongoing tensions in bilateral air services and Nigeria’s growing frustration with the treatment of its carriers in international markets.

The forthcoming talks at ICAN 2024 could play a critical role in resolving the dispute, with significant implications for air travel between Nigeria and the UK.