Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has led a contingent of passengers and dignitaries in the ceremonial send-off of the inaugural Air Peace direct flight from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to London Heathrow Airport.

The flight, which took off Sunday morning, is expected to arrive in London in the evening, marking a major milestone for Nigeria’s aviation industry.

It will 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.

Whilst dispatching a letter dated August 1, 2024, to his British counterpart, Louise Haigh, the UK Secretary of State for Transport, the Minister insisted that a Nigerian carrier be granted not only landing rights at London Gatwick but also the coveted Heathrow slot, a right long held exclusively by foreign carriers.

The Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyeama, commended the Minister’s bold intervention. “I could remember when the Customs introduced a 4 percent FOB charge on imports for aviation operators.

We went to the Honourable Minister, and he stepped into it immediately. He took the matter to the Finance Minister and to Customs. Within one week, the charges had been removed for Nigerian airlines. And you tell me why I will not support or applaud this government.”

He continued: “When the government is listening to the earnings and aspirations of the people, the complaints and challenges of the people, this is what we need. When Nigerian helicopter-airline owners cried to the Honourable Minister about a certain charge, he removed it on the spot to make life very simple for these airlines. So it’s not just about Air Peace. Every airline in this country must speak up for what this regime has done for them.”

The Minister, on his part, said that the success of the flight is rooted in the clear mandate from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that local carriers be supported to thrive and survive. “With that mandate in our right hand, we went to work. We dug deep to discover the problems of local operators over the years.”

“The mortality rate in our aviation sector for more than 40 years has been very high. Over 100 airlines have come and gone: Concord, Belview, Sosoliso, Chanchangi, name them. So we had a clear mandate to ensure that we support the growth, sustenance, and competitiveness of our local operators,” the Minister said.

While emphasising the role of the private sector, he said, “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, the greatest employer of labour and engine of growth. We have done all we can within our powers to give our local operators the muscle and leverage for fair competition.”

“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 changed.”

He stressed that the Abuja–London Heathrow route underscores Nigeria’s commitment to enhancing connectivity, supporting local aviation infrastructure, and promoting flag carriers on the global stage.