FOLLOWING last weekend’s threat by Nigeria’s Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah, to deny British airlines further access to Nigeria’s aviation market over what she considers as unfair levies imposed on Nigerian
carriers, the British government on Monday responded that such action would not be in Nigeria’s commercial interest.
Ms. Oduah had complained about unfair pricing that were not reflective of a balanced trend with airfare elsewhere in West Africa, prevailing on the British authorities to review and adjust their pricing or face a ban from the Nigerian market within 30 days.
“We are seriously concerned and worried by the reluctance to restore parity within the region by the foreign airlines,” the aviation minister said in a statement.
“They have been using all kinds of delay tactics, this is unacceptable and will no longer be tolerated. We will resolve this issue once and for all.”
The British government however is responding to the charges, saying that the prices charged by its leading carriers, the British Airways and the Virgin Atlantic, remain competitive and predicated upon informed commercial decisions.
Describing the threat of banning its airlines from Nigeria as a “heavy-handed action that would be catastrophic,” the British government warned that it would respond to any such decision in equal measure within 30 days as well, thereby setting the stage for a major commercial row between the two countries.
According to the British government, such ban “would cause potential foreign investors to question whether they want to put their money in Nigeria and have a long-term and damaging effect on Nigeria’s growth,” a British High Commission spokesman said.
“The Prime Minister and President Goodluck Jonathan signed a joint communiqué last year pledging to double bilateral trade. Action against BA and Virgin would damage that strategic aim,” the Spokesman said.
The latest disagreement is coming on the heels of differences over airport landing slots, in which Nigeria’s Arik Air recently ended its daily flights between Abuja and London due to allegations by Arik Air that authorities at London’s Heathrow International Airport are denying the airline arrival and depature slots at its facilities.
According to a British spokesman, “It is wrong to suggest that Arik has been prevented from flying into Heathrow. Our understanding is that Arik is just unwilling to pay for the cost of renting or buying landing slots”