The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has expressed delight and relief after Air Peace finally secured the nod to commence flight operations to London Heathrow Airport.
In a statement posted on his X account on Saturday, Keyamo confirmed that Nigeria secured a Heathrow slot for Air Peace under the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA), after months of diplomatic loggerheads.
“My dear compatriots, after many months of diplomatic exchanges and shuttles, insisting on our reciprocal rights under our Bilateral Air Services Agreement, we are pleased to announce that Nigeria has finally secured the coveted Heathrow slot for one of our flag carriers.
”We are committed to offering similar support to all our local operators, which is one of the focal points of the Renewed Hope Agenda of @officialABAT. We are also committed to ensuring that whilst we support their businesses to grow, we hold them to the highest standards in terms of delivering quality services to the flying public,” Keyamo said.
The federal government mounted pressure on UK authorities following the consistent denial of slots at Heathrow to Air Peace, despite several appeals. It warned that it may deny British Airways and Virgin Atlantic access to Lagos and Abuja airports if Air Peace continues to be denied Heathrow slots.
Keyamo, however, did not reveal when Air Peace will commence its flight operations to Heathrow. Still, he confirmed that both countries have resolved to allow Air Peace to expand its international presence.