Vice President Kashim Shettima has promised to meet with key stakeholders in resolving the bureaucratic challenges denying Nigerian airline, Air Peace, landing rights at Heathrow Airport, one of the world’s busiest airports by passenger traffic.
“It is diplomacy. There is no quarrel, and the Vice President has vowed to meet with his colleagues (on the matter),” founder and Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace Limited, Allen Onyema, told State House Correspondents after the second leg of meetings between Shettima and Airline Operators of Nigeria at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday.
Sources earlier reported that Air Peace’s efforts to get a slot at Heathrow, which is about 45 minutes from the heart of London, have been futile.
Although Heathrow is the UK’s primary airport, Air Peace operates from Gatwick Airport, a secondary airport.
In a letter dated August 1, 2024, and addressed to Louise Haigh, the UK secretary of state for transport, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, warned that if Air Peace is not allocated a space at London Heathrow, Nigeria will be forced to “reciprocate” by denying British Airways and Virgin Atlantic slots at its Lagos and Abuja airports.
Nigeria and the UK are parties to a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement, a treaty that provides for Civil Aviation Certifications to be shared between both countries.
The BASA sets out obligations and methods for cooperation between the authorities to avoid unnecessary duplication of evaluation and to facilitate the certification of aeronautical products by the civil aviation authorities. This bilateral instrument also allows airport managers to provide equal landing privileges to aircraft from member countries in their domain.
However, the independent authority responsible for slot allocation in the UK, Airport Coordination Limited, revealed that Air Peace Limited missed two critical deadlines while requesting landing slots. ACL stated that the airline failed to submit its slot requests on time for the Northern Summer 2024 and Northern Winter 2024 scheduling seasons.
But responding to a question by our correspondent on the matter, Onyema said, “The Vice President is worried that Nigerian airlines are not being given easy access into some choice airports. The vice president has also vowed to meet with his colleagues there.
“It is diplomacy. There is no quarrel. Yes, we are not going to fight. The Vice President has taken it upon himself to make sure that Nigerian airlines are given their dues abroad.”
At the meeting, which is barely a week after the signing of the Cape Town Convention Practice Directions, Shettima reassured stakeholders in the country’s aviation sector of the federal government’s commitment to creating a more conducive and better operating environment for airlines.
He lauded last Thursday’s signing of the CTC Practice Directions, describing it as a major boost for ease of doing business in Nigeria’s aviation industry.
In a statement he signed on Tuesday, the VP’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed that the meeting was part of the FG’s bid to address Foreign Exchange issues and the backlog of payments with the Central Bank of Nigeria, the National Hajj Commission and the Airline Operators of Nigeria.
Nkwocha’s statement is titled, ‘Again, VP Shettima Assures airline operators of better working environment.’
Onyema had noted the fragile nature of airline operations, saying, “Airlines are exceptional, and any little thing can take an airline out of the market.”
The Air Peace boss stressed the need for continued support for airlines in line with global practice to ensure the sector’s sustainability and growth.
“All over the world, airlines are supported to support the economy. It is not elitist,” he argued.
He also told Shettima that signing the CTC Practice Directions last Thursday will have far-reaching effects.
“What you did on Thursday is going to open up this country to become an economic powerhouse,” he declared, just as he said the move would enable airlines to “start inter-connecting everywhere” and expand their reach across Africa.
“Even within Nigeria, you have just empowered the nation by doing that alone. In fact, the ease of doing business in the aviation sector is back,” the Air Peace CEO added.
Onyema also called for additional measures to support the industry’s growth, suggesting that the Central Bank of Nigeria can give airline operators a window within their system because of the problems of the time” for airlines to navigate the current challenges”.
Earlier, the Special Adviser to the President on PEBEC & Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, said Tuesday’s meeting was fruitful as the FG continues to explore ways of enhancing the business environment in the country.
Oduwole said that stakeholders in the aviation sector will continue to engage with each other to address challenges and create an environment conducive to improved investment and customer service delivery.
She announced that her committee has until Monday, September 23, to present “concrete outcomes” to the VP.
“Well, you know, His Excellency just chaired a meeting and has set up a small committee. So, we are going to continue the discussions now. It was a productive one. All the agencies involved in some of the issues raised by airline operators last week were present, and some were also delegated to the Minister of Finance.
“The Minister of Aviation is also keeping close tabs on this. But because His Excellency has put such importance on supporting Nigerian businesses in aviation and other sectors, another company in a different industry was in attendance.
“We’re going to have a follow-up meeting immediately and get back to him. He has given us until Monday to have some concrete outcomes, so that’s what we’re going to do,” she explained.
Also, present at the meeting were the Chairman of Azman Airline, Abdulmunaf Yunusa; the Head of Finance, Air Peace, Mrs. Ejiro Eghagha; the Director of Risk Management at the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr Blaise Ijebor, and officials from the National Hajj Commission, among others.
