Nigeria’s air transport agreement with UK and matters arising

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EARLY in the week, Nigeria’s aviation sector woke up to the news about the move by the minister of aviation and aerospace development, Festus Keyamo to approach the British aviation authorities through the UK secretary of state for transport, Louise Haigh, to rectify the imbalance in the existing air transport agreement between the two countries.

The agreement, known in the aviation circle as Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between the two countries, specifies equal privileges for two airlines from each side operating into each other’s territory unhindered so far there is no safety or security violations.

Following the agreement and coupled with the dual designation policy signed between Britain and Nigeria during former President Olusegun Obasanjo over two decades ago, Nigeria has given the two carriers, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic the free hands to operate into two of the most lucrative airports and even more in Nigeria.

Unfortunately, while Nigeria has kept on to the existing agreement with the utmost support to the British carriers, reverse has been the case with the British authorities as they continue to change the rules of the agreement at the slightest opportunity.

Agreed that Nigeria may still be far from the expected position, but the weakness should not be capitalised on by the British authorities to rub mud on the face of the country and its citizens.

Obviously, while the the British carriers have been enjoying unlimited privileges in Nigeria even at the expense of the indigenous carriers here, the Nigerian carriers so far designated on the Lagos/London route to reciprocate the air transport agreement had and still been confronted with ridiculous booby traps set for them by the British aviation authorities.

It is again no longer hidden that the UK authorities have been found to be involved in all manner of aero politics against the Nigerian airlines for no other reason than the game of over-protectionism for their carriers to continue to monopolize the gains abounding on the Nigeria/UK route.

Or how can the British authorities justify the present refusal to grant approval to Air Peace, the only Nigerian carrier flying into London slot to Heathrow airport its most accessible and lucrative airport while on the contrary, the two UK carriers are operating seamlessly to the top rated airports in Nigeria.

It could be recalled that similar unjust treatments had been meted to other Nigerian carriers like Arik and Medview for the period they remained on the Nigerian/UK route on untenable excuses.

Amongst the questions on the lips of many is why the U.K. always fail to adhere to the rules guiding the agreement between it and Nigeria and why it is always reluctant to reciprocate the gesture the two airlines from their end enjoy here in line with the dual designation policy.

Each time this type of aero politics rears its head, the easiest reason often used to justify their orchestrated position is the lack of slot at Heathrow in contradiction of the equal opportunity spelt out in the agreement between the two sides.

It is, therefore, cheerful to hear that Nigeria, through the minister, has taken steps to bring an end to the injustice and it is hoped that the U.K. authorities will realise that it is no more business as usual.

In the letter dated August 1, 2024, and addressed to Louise Haigh, the UK secretary of state for transport, Keyamo cautioned that if Air Peace is not allocated a space at London Heathrow, that Nigeria will be forced to “reciprocate” by denying British Airways and Virgin Atlantic slots at the Lagos and Abuja airports.

“We are working and collaborating with Nigerian carriers to ensure that they are supported. We have already written to the United Kingdom to give Nigerian carriers, especially Air Peace Heathrow Airport, which is a tier one airport, just as we have British Airways Lagos, our tier one airport. We may as well give BA Ilorin to operate to. When we asked for Heathrow Airport, you’re telling us to go to a slot committee. Who does that? Air Peace, I can tell you is on its way to Heathrow away from Gatwick.”

If all these efforts by the minister to get justice for Air Peace from Britain fail, there may be the need for Nigeria to also play the aero politics game by applying the law of reciprocity which may lead to the withdrawal of the slot given to the two British carriers.

In other words, there will be nothing wrong if the British carriers are also granted approval to operate to Ilorin or Ibadan airport in the spirit of reciprocity.

The need for the minister to ensure that Air Peace and any other flag carrier designated on the U.K. route or any other route for that matter is treated in line with the binding trade agreements becomes pertinent as it will serve as a signal to other countries whose airlines are flying to Nigeria but yet working against the interest of Nigeria and its indigenous investors.

This same move should be applied to other countries that are known for frustrating the Nigerian carriers designated to their countries including even the so called fellow African countries whose culpability in the overkill tendencies are responsible for the non implementation of trade agreements like the Yamasoukro Decision and the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) amongst others established to boost trade growth and reduce poverty in the continent have failed to be realized.

At this juncture, let the minister keep the tempo running after all there are always two sides to any agreements.