On Sunday, Air Peace Ltd. started operating a direct route between London Heathrow Airport and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja. The London Heathrow service was inaugurated 19 months after it began operating flights to London Gatwick on March 29, 2024Barr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, led travelers on the first direct flight that took off from the NAIA on Sunday morning. In order to extend Air Peace’s UK operations, Keyamo spearheaded the fight to get a spot at Heathrow, the busiest and most prestigious airport in the United Kingdom, according to Daily Trust. A significant milestone for Nigeria’s aviation sector was reached when the flight departed on Sunday morning and arrived in London that evening. Recall that under the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, the minister has been leading the charge to ensure the clear reciprocity of air-service rights. He wrote to his British counterpart Louise Haigh, the UK Secretary of State for Transport, on August 1, 2024, demanding that a Nigerian airline be given landing privileges at London Gatwick and the coveted Heathrow slot. Mr. Allen Onyema, the Air Peace Chairman, commended Keyamo’s courageous involvement on the ground at the boarding.
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