Air Peace, UK and the politics of landing rights

BY CHIDIEBERE NWOBODO

The Western oligopolistic interests bared its fangs and displayed its vicious economic bullying to Nigeria’s biggest and fastest growing indigenous airline in the country. Over last weekend, an Air Peace aircraft that was scheduled to leave for evacuation mission in United Kingdom, was denied Diplomatic Landing Clearance by British authorities, on flimsy excuses.

The Air Peace flight, was meant to airlift some Nigerians who are also British citizens on Saturday 11th July, from Lagos to Heathrow, London. And to evacuate stranded Nigerians in United Kingdom in return on the earlier scheduled date of 13th of July, 2020. Flight tickets had already been purchased for both trips by prospective passengers. I know of a friend who had traveled from Abuja to Lagos to join this flight, only to be canceled at the eleventh hour—he is still in stock in his Lagos hotel as I write.

On declining to grant the landing permit, British authorities advised Air Peace to contract another airline, Air Partner—a British airline, to airlift Nigerians awaiting evacuation in United Kingdom; at a more higher cost. Air Peace had to take the additional cost to ensure Nigerians were evacuated, instead of refunding them their ticket fare. Those that should have been airlifted from Lagos to London by the same Air Peace, are making alternative arrangements with Emirates Airline to travel this week.

Let us dissect the main issue.

Towards end of March, 2020, amid global lockdown orchestrated by Covid-19 pandemic, British Government announced a £75 million pounds evacuation intervention, to evacuate stranded British citizens around the world. It is instructive to note that the air service contract was awarded to British Airways, EasyJet, Virgin, etcetera—all British airlines. British Government chose indigenous airlines, to avoid capital flights. I did not read or hear that any country, especially Nigeria denied granting Diplomatic Landing Clearance to these airlines.

In fact, in April 20, 2020, United Kingdom deployed Boeing B747 British Airways to evacuate 213 Britons from Nigeria. Nigerian government granted the aircraft landing permit, not minding that UK was one of the epicenters of the Covid-19 at that period. Within 6th and 8th of May, 2020, a Boeing 747 belonging to British Airways evacuated 304 Britons, and 253 Britons, respectively. As usual, Diplomatic Landing Clearance was gifted them by magnanimous Nigerian government.

When first badge of Nigerians were evacuated from United Kingdom to Nigeria amid Covid-19 in April, 2020, it was via British Airways. No story was heard. Fast forward to July, 2020. Now Nigerian government had contracted Air Peace Limited—an indigenous airline, to evacuate Nigerians stranded in the United Kingdom. Just from the blues, the same British authorities that had seamless evacuation of her citizens in Nigeria; using British Airways, decided that Nigeria biggest indigenous airline was not fit to land on its soil.

British authorities want BA (British Airways) and other UK airlines to maintain their age-longed monopoly of these lucrative routes. As long as it is British airline doing the evacuation; no problem. Once Nigerian government contracts indigenous airline for the same purpose, the issue of Diplomatic Landing Clearance will come up. The West has always seen their economic interests as superior to ours. We have to resist this strangulation of our business interests.

Nigerian government has to stand up to this nauseating economic bullying of our indigenous airlines and businesses by Western interests. This is an insult on our collective intelligence as Nigeria. A British government that has consistently evacuated its citizens from Nigeria using its own airline, will not only deny Nigerian airline the same privilege, but will have the audacity of arrogance to recommend to Nigerian government one of its airlines for the same purpose—even at a higher rate.

This is one of the reasons I like Donald Trump’s style of leadership anchored on America First mantra. Maltreat an American company like this, Trump administration will ensure a swift and more consequential retaliation. He will unilaterally place a ban on all the hostile countries airlines; till further notice. Trump has been at trade war with China, and other developed economies, just to protect America’s economic interests.

This ugly development was not done at Air Peace as an airline, alone, but Nigeria as a sovereign nation. In May, 2020, Canadian authorities blocked Air Peace from coming to evacuate 319 Nigerians stranded in Canada, citing fallacious and nebulous excuses. Another airline was given the contract.

Western powers in aviation industry see the rising profile of Air Peace as an emerging threats to them, especially in the international air routes. Juxtapose this scenario with recent allegations by American Justice Department, against Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, you will get the clearer picture of the international conspiracy. Nigerian government must rise and support Air Peace to withstand this unprovoked bullying.

Any country that refuse to grant Diplomatic Landing Clearance to our indigenous airlines to land on their soil, should expect the same treatment from us. If Air Peace is supported to be a global player in the international routes of the industry, Nigerian economy stands to benefit more, because most of the potential jobs and business opportunities will be created for Nigerians.

Ethiopian Airline has done it for Ethiopia. It has created cumulatively over 400,000 jobs and added $I.9 billion dollars to Ethiopian economy. This cannot be achieved when we allowed other countries to take our airlines for granted, by frivolously denying them landing rights, as was done Air Peace. Ministry of Foreign Affairs should do more than issuing press releases, because Nigerian businesses cannot be muzzled out of the competition for global resources by Western interests.