Allen Onyema, the CEO of Air Peace, has disclosed that since the airline began its direct flights from Lagos to London a few weeks ago, Gatwick Airport has deliberately frustrated its operations, aiming to impede its activities in the UK recently.
Onyema made this revelation on Tuesday during an exclusive interview on the Channels TV evening program, Politics Today, where he shared insights into his airline’s experience after launching the Lagos-London route.
The CEO of Air Peace has observed that since the airline’s entrance into the Nigeria-UK route, which resulted in lower fares, foreign carriers have been pushing back. He cited recent challenges with ground handling and space allocation at Gatwick Airport as proof of these retaliatory actions.
- “On the inaugural flight out of London.
- “24 hours to the time, they (management of Gatwick Airport) moved us to another checking area other than the place assigned to us.
- “The place they gave us, the carousel was not working.
- “So, when you are checking people, you need to manually carry the load 50 metres away to drop it somewhere else just to delay you.
- “No other airline faced that,” Onyema explained.
Onyema further revealed that on the day Air Peace was reassigned to a terminal with a malfunctioning baggage carousel, it was subsequently observed that the boarding gate in that area had collapsed, adding to the airline’s growing list of frustrations at the London airport.
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More insight
- Onyema delved into the challenges Air Peace faced, recounting instances where, despite completing boarding on time, flights were delayed by an additional 20 minutes because the airport’s management failed to provide ground handlers promptly. He emphasized that while Air Peace consistently departs on schedule from Lagos, it regularly encounters delays at Gatwick Airport.
- He suggested that these obstructions might be part of a deliberate strategy to displace Air Peace from Gatwick under the 80/20 slot rule, which mandates that airlines must maintain 80% on-time departure to retain their slots. Failure to meet this standard risks having their slots revoked and given to other airlines.
- To combat this, Onyema mentioned that Air Peace is documenting these incidents in a dossier to highlight the deliberate tactics by Gatwick Airport to hinder its operations. This comprehensive record will be presented to the Federal Government to seek intervention and address the injustices faced at Gatwick Airport.
I am not surprised, that’s the English way of getting back to you. Nigeria should do the same to all British airlines.
Sounds typical in this clime. If they don’t want you to succeed, sabotage is the key strategy. I agree with poster above, Naija airports should give them doses of their own medication.
They want to frustrate Air Peace and continue to exploit us cos why is flight to Nigeria more expensive than flights from UK to Austrialia. Nigerians in the UK we have to help call the managemwnt of Gatwick to order. The minister of aviation and other relevant ministers need to engage on their level as well.
The President should engage the authority in charge in England especially the management of Gatwick Airport. Equally Nigeria can set rules for them to favour the Airlines who are engaged in stopover routes.
Yeah I agree with you, it’s time we the well meaning Nigerians in uk to rise up and defend our right and pride, airpeace London has come to stay
Thats it start a riot over anything you see as againt you when in fact if you read into it properly its simply a case of gate costs disputes hence the reason if you fly into london you pay more these airlines do it all the time its simple fly into manchester glasgow birmingham and half your costs. Now calm yerself and educate before you incite hatred.
Nigerians and Nigerian government has to rise up against all these push back air peace is facing in their hands because they are doing it to push air peace away and start milking Nigerian travellers
Theres plenty other uk airports these airlines cry foul but they always concentrate in london. There is airports across the uk with plenty of demand its simple tell gatwick to ram it and move to another airport which im sure will be more than successfull
I wish Airpeace can avail a forward rate up to January 2025 so people can book way upfront.