In 2011 Arik Air had issues securing slots at London Heathrow Airport (LHR). The Nigerian government retaliated by reducing British Airways' slots to Lagos airport.
History is about to repeat itself, but this time, it's in the protection of Air Peace.
Nigeria's Minister of Aviation has written to his British counterpart that Nigeria will reduce British Airways' slots if Air Peace is not allocated an airport slot at the LHR.
However, "Airport slot allocation at United Kingdom Level 3 airports (LHR) is done by an independent private company called Airport Coordination Limited (ACL)."
Therefore, airport slot allocation should be a business relationship between ACL and Air Peace. Writing to the British government to allocate an airport slot to Air Peace is an effort in futility.
I agree that there is a bilateral agreement between Nigeria and the UK. The bilateral agreement grants each country 21 weekly airport slots. It didn't specify the airports that will allocate the slots.
By the way, why would Air Peace want to fly to LHR? Heathrow Airport is the busiest and the costliest airport in Europe.
Airport slots at the LHR can be worth millions of pounds. If Air Peace pays millions of pounds to use LHR, it will increase its overhead costs, which it will pass on to its passengers.
During their inaugural flight to London Gatwick Airpot (LGW), Air Peace priced its fares lowly, which forced the foreign airlines operating in Nigeria to lower their airfares.
Most of these foreign airlines fly to LHR. Air Peace wouldn't have been able to lower its airfare if it flew to Heathrow Airport.
Ryanair, the European low-cost giant, doesn't go to Heathrow Airport. According to the airline, the main reason for not going there is the sheer cost of doing business at LHR.
According to the Group CEO Michael O’Leary, "The entire business model of Ryanair is getting people from A to B without a transfer in the middle.
"So Ryanair doesn’t need all the facilities a big hub airport like Heathrow could provide that will make you pay twice or three times the airfare.”
Instead, Rynair uses small airports like Stanstead, Luton, etc.
Ryanair business model sounds like what Air Peace ought to emulate. Air Peace flies non-stop to Gatwick Airport without a transfer in the middle like Ryanair. Hence, it doesn't doesn't need the facilities LHR offers.
If Air Peace believes flying to LHR will increase its passengers, Ryanair noted that "the congestion at the LHR made more passengers realize the benefits of flying out of smaller, less congested airports."
Moreover, the likely passengers who will patronise Air Peace live in southeast London. Gatwick Airport is a few minutes' train away from them. LHR is very far away from them.
Passengers who fly economy class are the types of passengers who would tolerate the unpunctuality and unprofessionalism that characterise Air Peace's domestic operations.
The thought of delayed flights and the other embarrassing services offered by Air Peace in its domestic routes will discourage air passengers from flying its London-Gatwick route.
The passengers who can afford to fly business class will not tolerate Air Peace's incompetence and will continue to fly European airlines.
Air Peace should work on its punctuality and professionalism, which is what would grow its passenger traffic. As of now, it doesn't need London Heathrow Airport.
~ Liberate Your Mind