Traveling to London . A fresh development has emerged in the diplomatic rift between Nigeria and the UK, which has been exacerbated by Air Peace’s inability to obtain landing slots at London Heathrow Airport.
The independent body in charge of assigning slots in the UK, Airport Coordination Limited (ACL), has revealed that the Nigerian airline failed to meet two important dates.
According to the corporation, Air Peace did not timely submit its slot requests for the Northern Summer 2024 and Northern Winter 2024 scheduling seasons, as disclosed to Daily Sun.
The slot allocator revealed the missed deadlines, which have complicated matters further and given rise to legitimate worries about the airline’s capacity to establish a presence at one of the busiest airports in the world.
All eyes are on Air Peace to see if it can bounce back from these setbacks and secure the much-needed slots, or if the standoff will further strain relations between the two countries as their diplomatic schism widens Nigeria-UK relations.
The Origin
Festus Keyamo, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, sent a firm ultimatum to the United Kingdom on August 1, 2024, sparking the controversy. Keyamo threatened to retaliate against Virgin Atlantic and British Airways in a letter to UK Transport Secretary Louise Haigh if flag carrier Air Peace was not given the coveted landing slots at London Heathrow Airport.
Without any room for doubt, Keyamo’s letter threatened to bar these well-known British airlines from using Nigeria’s busiest and most strategically significant airports, Lagos and Abuja.
With this audacious move, the diplomatic spat noticeably intensified as Nigeria attempted to use its own aviation industry dominance to obtain fair treatment for Air Peace. The minister’s ultimatum demonstrated the strength of Nigeria’s commitment, and it may have a significant impact on both nations’ aviation industries and their bilateral relations. Right now, everything is on the line, and the world’s aviation community is watching closely to see how these tensions will be settled.
For emphasis, Keyamo informed Haigh that the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and the UK, which supports reciprocal rights for aviation, was broken by allocating a space for Air Peace at Gatwick airport. He claimed that although British airlines have unfettered access to Nigeria’s top-tier airports, Air Peace has not been successful in securing Heathrow slots. Then, he issued a dire warning that Nigeria would not put up with the mistreatment of its flag carrier and ordered that the situation be corrected immediately.
The UK Department of Transport stated last week that it would address the matter “in due course,” as the Daily Sun exclusively reported.
Two missed deadlines in the midst of Heathrow’s capacity surge
since Air Peace had submitted its slot requests beyond the official dates, they were automatically disqualified. The process of allocating slots at busy airports such as Heathrow is fiercely competitive and has stringent deadlines that are set months in advance. missing these dates drastically lowers an airline’s chances of getting a slot because open slots are usually given to those that follow the filing process.
Chambers went on to clarify that Air Peace was not the only airline in this predicament, pointing out that any airline that misses the deadline would suffer the same fate. Furthermore, ACL emphasized that Heathrow Airport is now working at maximum capacity, which poses significant challenges for the addition of new flights.
For the scheduling seasons of Northern Summer 2024 and Northern Winter 2024, Air Peace made a request for slots at London Heathrow. Since both proposals were submitted after the initial deadline, they could not be taken into consideration simultaneously with the rest of the requests, according to Chambers. When Air Peace failed to show up, ACL stated that although it took the flag carrier’s request into consideration, the airport was not large enough to handle the airline. It was further mentioned that airlines must submit at the appropriate time in order to be considered for available slots.
“ACL had a look at the request, but it could not be fulfilled because there was not enough capacity to give Air Peace. It is quite rare to be able to assign any slots because Heathrow is fully booked. Airlines must apply as soon as possible to be considered for available slots, since space fills up quickly. The slot allocator stated, “Please refer to the pertinent first coordination report that is available on our website for more information.
BASA consideration not important in slot allocation
“When making slot allocation decisions, ACL is not required to consider the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) as the two elements are independent of each other. This is consistent with industry best practice as per the Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines (WASG Section 1.7.2 (j)),” Chambers stated.
Analysis of the 1988 Nigeria-UK BASA
In light of the demands made by Keyamo in his letter to his UK counterpart. The analysis uncovered a notable oversight: the agreement does not contain provisions for airport slot allocation. While the BASA explicitly outlines regulations regarding flight frequencies, it omits any mention of how airport slots are to be allocated. The gap highlights a significant discrepancy in the agreement’s coverage of key aspects of aviation operations.
Despite numerous meetings between Nigerian and UK delegations since the signing of the BASA in 1988, the issue of airport slot allocation has largely remained unresolved. While route schedules have been adjusted and designated airlines established, the ongoing challenge of securing slots at London Heathrow Airport persists. Both parties have recognised this issue, with the UK delegation consistently highlighting the capacity constraints at Heathrow, which they assert impact all airlines vying for slots at the airport.
Timelines of meetings between Nigeria and the UK over BASA
On September 26th and 27th, 2005, representatives from Nigeria and the United Kingdom convened in Abuja to address various aspects of their air services arrangement. The discussions encompassed a range of topics, including flight frequencies, route schedules, code-share agreements, and potential amendments to the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA). During these meetings, the UK delegation highlighted the necessity of updating the BASA to incorporate new provisions on safety, security, tariffs, and airline designations.
Further negotiations took place on November 29, 2006, in London, where delegations from both countries met again to review and refine their air services arrangement. As anticipated, the Nigeria-UK BASA was a focal point of the discussions, leading to amendments in the route schedule. Notably, Abuja and Manchester were added as new points of service. Additionally, the delegations agreed to designate three airlines from each side to operate under the arrangement. The Nigerian delegation announced that Arik Air, Bellview Airlines, and Virgin Nigeria would be the designated carriers.
It is worth mentioning that Bellview and Virgin Nigeria are no longer operational and Arik Air is currently in receivership. The agreement also permitted the designated airlines from each country to operate up to 21 flights per week in each direction, utilising any type of aircraft.
For the UK, up to 14 services per week will be operated from Nigeria to London and up to seven services per week will be operated to Abuja. For designated airlines of Nigeria, up to 14 services per week will be operated from Nigeria to London and up to seven services per week will be operated to Manchester.
However, the Nigerian delegation expressed concerns about the availability of slots at London Heathrow Airport and requested the assistance of the UK authorities in securing slots for the designated airlines. The UK delegation explained the capacity limitations at Heathrow which affected all airlines wishing to operate there but affirmed that it would, within applicable and legal practical constraints, facilitate the availability of slots to enable the designated airlines to operate the capacity entitlement.
On March 26, 2008, delegations from Nigeria and the United Kingdom gathered in London for another round of discussions on the Nigeria-UK Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA). During this meeting, both parties reached an agreement to permit UK carriers up to 21 flights per week to Abuja, Lagos, and Kano. Conversely, Nigerian airlines would be allowed up to 21 services per week to London Heathrow or any other London airport. The UK government reaffirmed its commitment to facilitating the availability of suitable slots at their airports for the designated airlines, within the limits of applicable legal and practical constraints.
Despite these assurances, Nigerian flag carriers find it increasingly tough to get a slot at Heathrow airport.
Conclusion
Slot allocation continues to be a contentious issue between Nigeria and the United Kingdom. While the BASA serves as a crucial framework for managing bilateral aviation relations, it has proven insufficient in addressing the specific challenges of slot allocation, airport capacity constraints and the rising demand for air travel.
The BASA, though foundational, does not fully account for the complexities involved in securing airport slots at congested hubs like London Heathrow. As air traffic volumes grow and airports face increasing pressure to optimise their capacity, the limitations of the existing agreement have become more apparent, accentuating the need for a more comprehensive solution to these pressing issues.
