The erudite and knowledgeable activist, Femi Falana (SAN), has passionately advocated for the suspension of flight operations by Nigeria’s British Airways and Virgin Atlantic counterparts.
He insists that this suspension should endure until Nigeria’s own Air Peace is granted the opportunity to operate on the lucrative Lagos-London route, as outlined in the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) mutually agreed upon by Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
Mr. Falana expressed these sentiments during his address at the recent Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Conference in Abuja.
He stressed that BASA explicitly permits a reciprocal arrangement for designated airlines of both nations to ply the route, in accordance with the bilateral agreement.
He deems it unjust and incongruous for British Airways and Virgin Atlantic to continue their operations into Nigeria without any Nigerian airline being granted the same privilege to fly to London.
Highlighting Air Peace’s demonstrated capability to operate on international routes, including destinations like China, Israel, India, and South Africa, using state-of-the-art aircraft that stand on par with their foreign competitors, Falana firmly asserted that if Air Peace remains excluded from the London route, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic should face similar restrictions when flying to Nigeria.
Air Peace boasts a modern fleet of long-haul and regional aircraft that can easily match those of other foreign carriers serving Nigeria.
The recent denial of Air Peace’s request serves as a stark illustration of the UK’s stringent aviation policies and those of numerous other countries, which employ similar measures to safeguard their own airlines, all while the Nigerian government extends generous courtesies to foreign carriers.
Many key stakeholders had previously urged the Nigerian government to employ aeropolitical strategies to protect their domestic airlines and other businesses.
Currently, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic enjoy the privilege of operating more than 21 flights into Nigeria, while no Nigerian carrier has been afforded the same opportunity in return.
