The Federal Government has secured a coveted landing slot at Heathrow Airport in London for Air Peace, following months of diplomatic engagement under the Bilateral Air Services Agreement between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced the development on Saturday via his official X (formerly Twitter) account.

Keyamo hailed the development as a major diplomatic milestone, highlighting it as a testament to Nigeria’s commitment to securing fair and reciprocal treatment for its domestic airlines on international routes.

He stated that the slot allocation was the result of sustained diplomatic engagement by the Nigerian government to assert the country’s rights under the existing BASA framework.

The minister further noted that the development aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes support for indigenous businesses while upholding international service standards.

“My dear compatriots, after many months of diplomatic exchanges and shuttles, insisting on our reciprocal rights under our Bilateral Air Services Agreement, we are pleased to announce that Nigeria has finally secured the coveted Heathrow slot for one of our flag carriers, Air Peace,” Keyamo’s post stated.

This development comes over a year after Air Peace launched its Lagos–London route via Gatwick Airport on March 30, 2024, having initially pursued access to Heathrow.

At the time, Air Peace disrupted the market by offering significantly lower fares. Economy class tickets started at N1.2 million—far below the N3–5 million typically charged by foreign carriers.

Business class fares were also competitively priced from N4.5 million, making premium air travel more affordable for Nigerian passengers.