The Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development has confirmed that Nigerian airline, Air Peace, has submitted a fresh application for a landing slot at Heathrow Airport after missing the initial approval process.
According to The PUNCH, Tunde Moshood, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, explained that the airline was not included in the list of approved carriers due to its failure to apply on time.
“Air Peace missed out on the opportunity to apply. So, they have asked them to reapply,” Moshood stated.
He further clarified the structured nature of airline approvals, particularly for summer operations. “All airlines planning summer flights must follow a specific approval process. They are required to submit their itinerary for consideration,” he said.
Moshood emphasized that the airline had not completed the necessary steps within the required timeframe. “There are designated periods and processes for these applications. It is seasonal. I am sure they must have reapplied by now,” he added.
Concerns had been raised over Air Peace’s exclusion from the initial list of approved airlines, especially given past challenges in securing a favorable landing slot in the UK. The airline had previously been assigned to Gatwick Airport instead of Heathrow, a decision aviation experts likened to placing it at Nigeria’s Enugu Airport rather than key commercial hubs like Lagos or Abuja.
In response to the perceived imbalance, Minister Keyamo lodged a formal complaint with the UK government, warning that Nigeria could retaliate by restricting UK airlines’ access to its major airports if Air Peace was not granted a Heathrow slot.
However, the UK Secretary of State for Transport, Louise Haigh, clarified that the government was not responsible for the airline’s predicament. “The allocation of landing slots is beyond government control. It is solely managed by an independent company, Airports Coordination Limited,” she stated.
