By Kunle Sanni –
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has announced that Nigeria has successfully secured a coveted landing slot for Air Peace at London’s Heathrow Airport, marking a major milestone for the nation’s aviation sector.
Mr. Keyamo made the announcement on Monday via his X and Facebook pages, revealing that the achievement followed several months of high-level diplomatic negotiations with the United Kingdom.
“After several months of diplomatic exchanges with my British counterpart, we finally secured the much-coveted Heathrow Airport slot for one of our flag carriers, Air Peace,” the minister wrote. “Yesterday, we launched the maiden flight from Abuja to Heathrow with all the accompanying fanfare, both in Abuja and upon arrival at Heathrow.”
The new direct Abuja–Heathrow route comes 19 months after Air Peace began its London operations through Gatwick Airport and fulfills a long-standing goal by Nigerian authorities to secure access to one of Europe’s busiest airports.
Mr. Keyamo, who personally led passengers on the inaugural flight from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Sunday, said the move aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to promote local carriers and ensure fair competition under existing bilateral air service agreements.
“Over 100 airlines have come and gone — Concord, Belview, Sosoliso, Chanchangi, name them. We had rights under our BASAs but no capacity, no access, no slot at Heathrow. Today, that changes,” he said.
Air Peace Chairman, Allen Onyema, hailed the development as a victory for the Nigerian aviation industry, praising the minister’s consistent support for local airlines.
“I remember when Customs introduced a four per cent FOB charge on our imports. The aviation operators went to the minister, and he intervened immediately. Within one week, the charge was removed. So, this achievement is not just about Air Peace,” Mr. Onyema said.
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