FG grants Air Peace right to commence Abuja-London flights - Keyamo

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has disclosed that he has given approval for indigenous airline, Air Peace, to commence the Abuja-London route.

The Minister revealed this while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday, April 25, 2024.

“Just yesterday (Wednesday), I approved Air Peace for the Abuja-London route, not only Lagos-London route. British Airways also come to Abuja. So, let Air Peace block that path and start a war. It’s all for the good of Nigerians,” he said.

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While expressing his displeasure over the British government's refusal to grant operation access at its prime airport, Heathrow Airport, Keyamo said the Federal Government agreed to operate the Gatwick Airport as a low-hanging fruit and starting point.

He added that he's been reviewing the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and the UK and some decision would be made at the conclusion of the review.

This comes barely one month after Air Peace commenced direct flight operations from Lagos to Gatwick Airport in London.

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The development, which has been applauded by many industry observers and Nigerians at large, was deemed as a corrective measure to the lopsided BASA between Nigeria and the UK.

Air Peace crashes London flight fares

Meanwhile, flight fares on the Lagos-London route have significantly reduced since Air Peace's entrance to the market.

Before now, the price of foreign airlines on the route was as high as ₦3.5m but with Air Peace pegging a return economy class ticket for ₦1.2m, the likes of British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and Qatar Airways have been forced to slash their prices to stay competitive.

However, this development has sparked a price war, with foreign airlines underpricing to stay ahead of the competition.