Let’s hope UK authorities are not conspiring against Nigeria

FROM all angles it is becoming more glaring that there is an ongoing conspiracy by different actors to frustrate the efforts of the Nigerian government in providing affordable international air transport for its citizens across the globe.

The conspiracy otherwise known in aviation circle as international Aero politics may not be new to Nigeria’s aviation but the lame duck attitude of the federal government towards the dangerous struggles by the different governments across the world as a tool of protectionism towards their business interest is on a daily basis being rubbed on the entire country and its business interests.

As lenient and friendly as Nigeria’s policies particularly as concerned trade agreements with many countries across the globe are, it is no longer secret that the good gestures of Nigeria have failed to yield any positive response in view of the hostility regularly displayed towards anything Nigerian at any slightest opportunity.

Coming to the aviation sector in Nigeria, for unknown reasons, there has been an ongoing conspiracy against aviation business interests with focus on the few indigenous airlines flying the flag of the country outside the world.

While airlines from foreign countries operating into Nigeria under the Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASAs) between Nigeria and their home countries are given unlimited opportunities to operate, reverse has always been the case with the Nigerian airlines reciprocating such trade agreements in such foreign countries.

Under the guise of protecting their own airlines, the government of the foreign countries often engage in dangerous Aero politics in violation of the air transport agreements they have with Nigeria.

To protect their own airlines, they waste no time in laying the booby traps for any Nigerian carrier designated to their countries out of desperation to frustrate such airline out of the route and subsequently allow the undue monopoly on the Nigerian route and theirs.

It is therefore regular to hear about the humiliations Nigerian airlines designated on such routes like Dubai, South Africa, Togo, UK, United States,Canada amongst others, are subjected to over unnecessary rivalries.

The latest of the intolerances is coming from the UK aviation authorities in connivance with the two airlines, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways on one side, and other foreign airlines operating on the Nigeria/London route.

Presently, the above principal actors have invoked the conspiracy theories to make flight operations uncomfortable to Air Peace, the Nigerian carrier designated on the Lagos/London route just to render it incapacitated.

The scenarios that have played out since the Nigeria carrier commenced flights into the route on March 30,2024 has left a sour taste in the mouth of every Nigerian with describing the displayed hostility as dirty Aero politics taking too far.

Amongst the numerous actions taken by the U.K. government and the foreign airlines that exposed their conspiracy started with the refusal of the U.K. Airport authorities to approve the Lagos/London Heathrow slot for Air Peace to reciprocate the London/Lagos/Abuja-routes the two British carriers operating into Nigeria are enjoying.

The U.K. government in violation of the dual designation policy existing between the two countries which allows at least two carriers to operate into each other’s domain rather than reciprocate the agreement, approved the London/Gatwick slot regarded as less central location to Air Peace.

As if the injustice was not enough, while the London Gatwick airport authorities celebrated the inaugural flights of Azerbaijan airlines and Swiss International Air Lines to the same London Gatwick  on its instagram with water cannon salute few days before the coming of Air Peace, there was no single mention of Air Peace.

While all these hostilities were conspicuously displayed by the Gatwick and the U.K. authorities, the foreign carriers led by the two British carriers have perfected the act of truncating the bright dream of Air Peace through the unleashing of marketing strategy otherwise known as price war.

Not quite done, a fake website was created to use the name of Air Peace to defraud innocent passengers all in the name of calling a dog bad name to hang it. Obviously, all these conspiracy and dirty Aero politics are not only targeted at Air Peace but the entire country for the purpose of monopoly and exploitation of the Nigerian traveling public.

At this point, it should have become clearer to those in the position of authorities in Nigeria that even though their long time lackadaisical attitude towards protecting their citizens and their interests has encouraged the shenanigans of the foreign countries, the time to wake up is now.

All hands must be on the deck for all Nigerians and the government to disallow further humiliation of Air Peace and any Nigerian carrier designated on the foreign routes. Any attempt by the U.K. authorities or their accomplice to play any dirty game with the only Nigerian carrier reciprocating the air transport agreement between it and Nigeria should be duly reciprocated with immediate alacrity.

Agreed that Nigeria was once colonized by the British, but the story has since changed since Nigeria has attain its sovereignty which gives it and its citizens the freedom to decide on what is good for them including having the rights to choose the airline to patronize.

Also Read: Lagos-London flights: Ezekwesili calls for aviation regulator’s intervention