‘We May Send British Airways To Ilorin Airport’ – Aviation Minister Threatens Over Slot Issue

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said the Federal Government may be forced to restrict British Airways from Nigeria’s premier airport, Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos over a slot issue in the United Kingdom.
Keyamo said the government may be forced to send BA to Ilorin International Airport as an operational base.
The UK slot system has forced Nigeria’s airline Air Peace to fly to Gatwick Airport instead of Heathrow, the UK number one airport.
Keyamo disclosed on Friday that the ministry had written to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to allow Air Peace to fly to Heathrow Airport in London in line with the reciprocity principle in the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA).
Daily Trust reports that Air Peace commenced direct flight to the UK Gatwick Airport in March this year after a long battle with the authorities in a bid to get a slot at Heathrow.
Speaking at the 28th Annual Conference of the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) in Lagos, Keyamo said it was unfair to allow British Airways unfettered access to MMIA, the country’s busiest airport while the same privilege was not accorded to Nigerian airline in UK in line with the BASA.
Keyamo said that the ministry was awaiting a response from the ministry in the UK.
He said, “We have already written to the United Kingdom to give Nigerian carriers, especially Air Peace Heathrow Airport, which is a tier one airport, just as we have British Airways, using our Lagos airport. We may as well give BA Ilorin to operate to. When we asked for Heathrow Airport, you’re telling us to go to a slot committee. Who does that? Air Peace I can tell you is on its way to Heathrow away from Gatwick.
“The local operators are struggling to cover their routes locally, not to talk of our international routes; Air France is coming here 10 times a week, we are not going to Paris, Lufthansa is coming here, we are not going to Frankfurt, Delta and United from America are all coming here, but we are not reciprocating. Even, South African Airways is coming here, we are not going there.
“We only managed to have Air Peace in London and to Gatwick, but we are pushing for them to take us to Heathrow. You can’t tell us you have a slot committee. Your airport operator should know that you have an existing relationship and they should respect it.
“For connectivity, people prefer Heathrow. That is an airport you can have an airline to codeshare with so that there can be connectivity.”