UK and the violation of existing dual designation policy with Nigeria

Prior to the coming of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government, the different key players in the sector have used different fora to call for the review of the Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASAs) existing between  Nigeria and over 100 countries.

The constant calls for the review have been attributed to the obvious lopsidedness in the agreements which placed Nigeria at a disadvantageous position.

It is no longer news that while in view of the agreements signed between Nigeria and the foreign countries, many foreign airlines operate into Nigeria, virtually none is reciprocating Nigeria’s gesture.

The major reason traced to the unbalanced agreements include: poor negotiations by the Nigerian officials from the BASA department of the Ministry of aviation which perhaps put personal consideration above the national interest, or out of incompetency shortchanged the country during such negotiations.

The foreign countries capitalise on the loophole to continue to gain upper hand by using the lacuna to rip off Nigeria.

Besides the watery agreements, another major reason responsible for the lopsided BASAs is the failure of the subsequent governments to guide the government against rushing to sign such agreements without putting its house in order by first providing the enabling environment that will position the indigenous carriers for competition.

Many of the previous ministers  who rather than implement policies that could have helped the domestic airlines grow to be able to face competition on the international route, preferred to pamper the foreign airlines through the loose frequencies they doled out to them which have remained one of the factors miltating against the profitability and development of the domestic carriers.

To worsen the situation, despite all pleas, the subsequent governments failed to back up the few airlines designated on foreign routes through getting involved in aero politics.

The same government that could not play politics for its own indigenous carriers on the other hand is busy opening up its airspace to foreign carriers whose home governments are ever ready to frustrate any Nigerian carrier designated to their country all in the name of protecting their own carriers.

Sadly, whenever this hostility occurs, the Federal Government becomes lilly livered.

This nonchalant attitude of government has continued to make a mockery of the BASA treaties which have been found to be working against Nigeria.

It is on record that majority of these countries which have Air transport agreements with Nigeria don’t respect the pact even when the airlines from their countries enjoy the red carpet treatments here.

This is responsible to the international hostilities being put on the way of Nigerian airlines, the latest victim being Air Peace.

The extreme international aeropolitics was again confirmed at the just concluded Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Conference in Abuja where it was revealed how the UK authorities have been frustrating the attempt of Air Peace to commence flights into London.

The denial of Air Peace by UK contradicts the dual designation policy signed by the two countries over 20 years ago to allow two airlines from each side operate into each other’s territory.

While British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have both been enjoying the UK slot with 21 frequencies seamlessly, since the demise of Nigeria Airways and Air Nigeria, other Nigerian carriers like Arik and Medview airlines that were designated to operate the Nigeria slot met serious hostility before they eventually folded up.

While the two UK carriers have been allowed to operate not only to Lagos the most lucrative route, they are equally given the right to operate into Abuja while on the contrary,  the last two Nigerian carriers were restricted to  a secondary airport, Gatwick just to give their two airlines an edge over the Nigerian carriers.

It is the same scenario that is playing out against Air Peace presently.

The usual excuse of low capacity in the form of modern aircraft that the UK often cites for denying Nigerian carriers cannot stand this time as Air Peace an array of modern aircraft in its fleet that can conveniently operate side by side with the fleet of BA and Virgin Atlantic or any other mega carriers around the world.

From all indications, the continuous denial of Air Peace is out of fear that the coming of Air Peace on the Nigeria/UK route will not only crash fares but give Nigerian travelers seamless choices and reduce the high exploitative tendencies of the UK carriers.

Therefore, there should be no excuse for denying the Nigerian carrier except if the hitherto existing dual designation policy no longer exist, and if not, Nigeria should invoke the law of reciprocity by equally denying the two UK airlines the rights to operate into Nigeria in line with the adage that says ‘what is good for the geese is also good for the gander.

Above all, the ability of the minister of aviation, Mr Festus Keyamo to fight this injustice will serve as a warning to other countries like UK, UAE who like to humiliate Nigeria and its citizens that for every action there will always be a reaction.