Keyamo’s Letter: Air Peace and Heathrow Slot Challenges
The UK has responded to a formal letter from Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, regarding Air Peace’s request for landing slots at London Heathrow Airport.
The UK authorities explained that Air Peace has not been granted a slot at Heathrow due to the strict slot allocation system at the airport, which is managed by an independent entity, Airport Coordination Limited (ACL).
ACL pointed out that Air Peace missed key deadlines for the Northern Summer and Winter 2024 scheduling seasons, which affected its chances of securing a slot.
Keyamo had warned that if Air Peace was not granted a slot at Heathrow, Nigeria might retaliate by restricting British Airways and Virgin Atlantic from operating at Lagos and Abuja airports.
This tension has prompted Vice President Kashim Shettima to step in, promising to engage diplomatically with UK officials to resolve the issue.
The matter is seen as critical due to the importance of maintaining equitable aviation agreements under the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between the two countries.