Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has announced that local airline operator Air Peace will begin flights between Abuja and London very soon.
Keyamo, who made the announcement on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday, said he had given Air Peace permission to add Abuja to its London route.
“On Wednesday, I approved Air Peace for the Abuja-London route, not just the Lagos-London route. British Airways also flies to Abuja. So let Air Peace block that path and spark a conflict. “It is all for the benefit of Nigerians,” he stated.
Keyamo stated that Air Peace or any other interested local airline should fly to Heathrow Airport rather than Gatwick Airport, but that the latter is simply a low-hanging fruit and a starting point.
The minister said he has been reviewing the BASA between the UK and Nigeria, and some decisions would be made at the conclusion of the review.
On March 30, 2024, Air Peace reciprocated the lopsided Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and the United Kingdom when the local airline began direct flight operations from Lagos to Gatwick Airport in London.
The development has been applauded by many industry observers, with more local airlines being encouraged to commence international flights to profitable routes.
The price of an international flight ticket on the Lagos-London route was as high as N3.5 million, but with Air Peace pegging a return economy class ticket for N1.2 million, foreign airlines such as British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and Qatar Airways have been forced to slash their prices to stay competitive.
The entrance of Air Peace on the London route has sparked a price war, with foreign carriers now underpricing to stay in business. On this, Keyamo said the government has been observing the unfolding events and would support Air Peace with all federal might.