Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has officially complained in writing on the British authorities' denial of Air Peace's request to use Heathrow Airport.

The attempt to secure a slot at Heathrow did not work out for Air Peace.

Due to the slot system, Air Peace, the flag carrier of Nigeria, currently operates flights to Gatwick, a secondary airport.

According to Keyamo, he will "reciprocate" their actions by denying British Airways and Virgin Atlantic slots at the Lagos and Abuja airports if Air Peace was not given a space at London Heathrow.

The letter which was dated August 1, 2024, was addressed to Louise Haigh, the UK secretary of state for transportation.

A few weeks prior, the Minister had declared that the Federal Government will write to the United Kingdom to request permission to operate Nigerian carriers, specifically Air Peace, out of Heathrow Airport.

In accordance with the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA), the Minister stated at the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) seminar in Lagos that Nigeria would no longer tolerate a situation in which its airlines are denied access to tier one airports abroad.

BusinessDay reported that if Air Peace is not permitted to land at Heathrow, Nigeria may force British Airways and other airlines to land at Ilorin, Kano, and other remote locations.