Air Peace Ltd, on Sunday, commenced a direct flight from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, to the London Heathrow Airport.
The inauguration of the London Heathrow flight came 19 months after it started flight operations to London Gatwick on March 29, 2024.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Barr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, led passengers on the inaugural direct flight which departed the NAIA on Sunday morning.
CKNNews reports that Keyamo had led the battle to secure a slot in Heathrow, UK’s busiest and most prestigious airport, in order to expand Air Peace’s UK operations.
The flight took off on Sunday morning and arrived in the evening in London, marking a major milestone for Nigeria’s aviation industry.
It would be recalled that the minister has been at the forefront of securing the explicit reciprocity of air-service rights under the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
He dispatched a letter dated August 1, 2024 to his British counterpart, Louise Haigh, UK Secretary of State for Transport and insisted that a Nigerian carrier be granted landing rights at London Gatwick and the coveted Heathrow slot.
On the ground at the boarding, the Chairman of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema, praised Keyamo’s bold intervention.
Onyema urged every airline in the country to speak up for what the present regime had done for them.
“I could remember when Customs brought in a four per cent FOB charge for our imports, the aviation operators went to the Minister, and he stepped into it immediately. He took the matter to the Finance Minister and to Customs.
“Today, within one week, the four percent FOB has been removed for Nigerian airlines. I will support and applaud this government. The government listens to the aspirations, complaints, and challenges of the people.
”When Nigerian helicopter-airline owners cry to the minister about a certain charge, he removes it on the spot to make life very simple for these airlines. So it’s not just about Air Peace.
Also speaking on the ground at the boarding, Keyamo said the flight’s feat was rooted in the clear mandate from President Bola Tinubu to support local carriers to thrive and survive.
According to the minister, the mortality rate in the nation’s aviation sector has been very high for more than 40 years.
“Over 100 airlines have come and gone. Concord, Belview, Sosoliso, Chanchangi, name them. So we had a clear mandate to support the growth, sustainability, and competitiveness of our local operators.
“If you destroy the private sector in your country, you destroy the country. Every good economy thrives on the wealth and wellbeing of the private sector,” he said.
According to him, the private sector is the greatest employer of labour and engine of growth.
He noted that the federal government had done all it could to give local operators the muscle and leverage to ensure fair competition
‘What Air Peace’s Heathrow flight means’
Keyamo added, “International airlines have been coming to Nigeria for nearly 90 years on some routes, lifting passengers back and forth without our operators fully participating. Under our BASAs, we had rights too. But no capacity, no access, no slot at Heathrow. Today that changes.”
”The Abuja-London Heathrow route underscores Nigeria’s commitment to enhancing connectivity, supporting local aviation infrastructure and promoting flag carriers on the global stage.”