The United Kingdom has responded to the recent threat by Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, to restrict British carriers from flying out of Lagos and Abuja if Air Peace is not granted slots at Heathrow Airport. The minister had argued that in line with the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and the UK, Air Peace should be allowed to operate its Abuja-London flight from Heathrow, instead of Gatwick.

In response, the UK Secretary of State for Transport, Louise Haigh, explained that Air Peace’s request for slots at Heathrow was submitted too late for both the Summer 2024 and Winter 2024/2025 seasons. The letter, dated September 5, 2024, clarified that by the time Air Peace’s application was received, the slot coordination process had already been completed by Airports Coordination Limited (ACL).

Haigh also pointed out that Heathrow Airport faces runway capacity limits, which makes slots highly competitive. She advised Air Peace to either join the waitlist, continue operating from Gatwick, or explore options such as slot trading with other airlines.

Haigh highlighted the competitive nature of Heathrow, noting that 319,721 slot requests were made for the Summer 2024 season, but only 290,580 were available. Gatwick, the UK’s second-busiest airport, was also presented as a viable alternative with good connectivity and direct rail links to central London. The letter encouraged Air Peace to continue liaising with ACL for future opportunities to acquire slots at Heathrow.