FG Gives Update on Landing Slot for Air Peace in UK
- The federal government has reacted to requests for a landing slot for Nigeria's flag carrier, Air Peace, at the Heathrow Airport in the UK
- According to the minister of aviation and aerospace development, the federal government will deal with the issues internally
- Speaking on this, a top Air Peace executive said the management of the airline will respond when the time is right
Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has over 3-year-experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market.
In response to requests for a landing slot for Nigeria's flag carrier, Air Peace, at the Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom, Festus Keyamo, the minister of aviation and aerospace development, has stated that the federal government will handle the problems internally.
Source: Getty Images
Keyamo said this on Tuesday, October 22, while responding to comment on the most recent letter from the United Kingdom regarding the issue.
UK airlines continue to operate in Nigeria's key airports, Lagos and Abuja, while Air Peace was relegated to using Gatwick Airport in the UK, a facility experts have likened to Nigeria's Enugu airport.
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The development generated concerns in some quarters. In order to allay this worry, the minister of aviation wrote to the UK government to express FG's dissatisfaction with the situation.
The minister had also threatened to prevent aircraft from the UK from landing at Nigeria's main airports if they were still unwilling to give Air Peace a landing slot at Heathrow.
How FG reacted
In his latest update on the issue, Keyamo stated that the government would handle the situation internally because it was a diplomatic problem.
Keyamo stated:
“We prefer dealing with the issues internally for now since it involves our diplomatic relations. Even the letter itself got out there without our permission. You can see that the date is last month. So, at a convenient point, we will let you all know the progress on the issue.”
Meanwhile, a senior Air Peace executive, who declined to have his name published, told Punch that the airline's management will reply when it was time.
“We are not joining issues with anyone. When appropriate, our COO will respond accordingly. We will send a statement regarding it definitely when the time is ripe,” the official stated.
Air Peace reportedly increases Lagos-Abuja ticket
Legit.ng earlier reported that beginning November 1, 2024, a one-way flight from Lagos to Abuja aboard Air Peace would hit N200,000.
Experts have said the harsh economy is hitting the aviation industry hard, causing airlines to hike fares amid passenger protests.
The development has forced some Nigerians to choose alternative means of transport, preferring road travel.
Proofreading by James, Ojo Adakole, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
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