ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's biggest carrier Arik Air said it would have to stop its daily flights between Abuja and London because it was being prevented from getting arrival and departure slots at UK airports, an accusation that risked reigniting a diplomatic row.

Arik Air - the only Nigerian airline flying to Britain - said slots it had leased from Lufthansa's British unit bmi at London's Heathrow airport were about to expire and it was now facing unspecified "restrictions".
"Whilst it is regrettable to have to suspend our services between Abuja and London, we simply could not continue with the route due to the restrictions placed upon us in accessing arrival/departure slots into UK airports," Arik's chief executive Michael Arumemi-Ikhide, said in a statement on Friday.
He did not spell out who was imposing the restrictions on the company.
But a similar row over landing slots and ticket pricing between Nigerian and British authorities in November almost grounded all flights between the two countries.
"It is an unfortunate situation and one that we felt was being resolved at government level and we hoped that an agreement would have been reached before the start of the summer schedule," said Arumemi-Ikhide in the statement.
The suspension did not affect Arik's flights between London and Nigeria's commercial hub Lagos.
Landing slots at Heathrow, one of the world's busiest airports, are popular and over-subscribed. Nigeria's government and Arik Air want the British government to help it get more slots at Heathrow but UK authorities have said it is not their responsibility under a joint agreement between the countries.
Britain and Nigeria have a bilateral air services agreement (BASA) which allows them each 21 equal flight frequencies between the two countries, which their airlines can use.
The UK argues that Nigeria is entitled to 21 flights to the Britain a week but it cannot guarantee them 21 landing slots at Heathrow. Other London airports have slots available.
Arumemi-Ikhide said Nigeria gave UK carrier "unfettered access" to the slots at Nigeria's Abuja and Lagos airports. "However, this is not
reciprocated in the UK," he added.
The Nigerian aviation ministry was not immediately available for comment on Saturday. It warned last year that it would not "stand idly by while Nigerian flag carriers are unfairly treated when BASA agreements clearly state otherwise."
Nigerian authorities fined BA and Virgin Atlantic a total of $235 million (148 million pounds) for alleged price fixing in November, which both airlines deny.
The aviation minister has claimed BA flights between London and Nigeria we more expensive than flights covering a similar distance between Britain and Ghana.
Searches on the BA website show flights to Ghana are significantly cheaper than to Nigeria in business class and first class but not in economy class.
(Reporting by Joe Brock; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

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Posted: at 18-03-2012 07:30 AM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Hmmmmmmm ok

Posted: at 18-03-2012 12:26 PM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac

if they like make they close the abuja airport, is nigerian airways still functioning?

Posted: at 18-03-2012 12:59 PM (12 years ago) | Upcoming

 

Posted: at 18-03-2012 01:18 PM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac

F**king Britons

Posted: at 18-03-2012 01:42 PM (12 years ago) | Hero

anyway..........

Posted: at 18-03-2012 01:48 PM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac

oops

Posted: at 18-03-2012 02:25 PM (12 years ago) | Hero

phyuk UK,

Posted: at 18-03-2012 03:00 PM (12 years ago) | Newbie

 8)hmmmm,and our nigerian  ;citizenship for them???''?? always freeeee.

Posted: at 18-03-2012 05:09 PM (12 years ago) | Upcoming

[What a politics, the British govt. knows that they are loosing money due to Arik airline from Nigeria. Thats why they are making it more harder for Arik to renew their papers of landing of their assigned spot. But Nigeria Govt. needs to come in here to Arik's rescue. They need to stop British airline too, they've been making alot of money from Nigeria since Nigeria airways closed down so they want any competition from any Nigeria international airline...... Stupid country, Nigeria has been feeding them for so many years, but is about time it needs to stop........]

What a politics, the British govt. knows that they are loosing money due to Arik airline from Nigeria. Thats why they are making it more harder for Arik to renew their papers of landing of their assigned spot. But Nigeria Govt. needs to come in here to Arik's rescue. They need to stop British airline too, they've been making alot of money from Nigeria since Nigeria airways closed down so they want any competition from any Nigeria international airline...... Stupid country, Nigeria has been feeding them for so many years, but is about time it needs to stop........

Posted: at 18-03-2012 06:25 PM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac

[What a politics, the British govt. knows that they are loosing money due to Arik airline from Nigeria. Thats why they are making it more harder for Arik to renew their papers of landing of their assigned spot. But Nigeria Govt. needs to come in here to Arik's rescue. They need to stop British airline too, they've been making alot of money from Nigeria since Nigeria airways closed down so they don'twant any competition from any Nigeria international airline...... Stupid country, Nigeria has been feeding them for so many years, but is about time it needs to stop........]

What a politics, the British govt. knows that they are loosing money due to Arik airline from Nigeria. Thats why they are making it more harder for Arik to renew their papers of landing of their assigned spot. But Nigeria Govt. needs to come in here to Arik's rescue. They need to stop British airline too, they've been making alot of money from Nigeria since Nigeria airways closed down so they don'twant any competition from any Nigeria international airline...... Stupid country, Nigeria has been feeding them for so many years, but is about time it needs to stop........

Posted: at 18-03-2012 06:27 PM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac

THIS ISSUE CAME UP SOMETIME AGO, THERE WAS A REPRISAL.  NOW, THEY HAVE STARTED AGAIN.  ARIK AIR DONT WORRY, BY THE TIME WE CLOSE THERE OWN SLOT HERE IN NIGERIA, THEY WILL COME CRAWLING AND BEGGING.

Posted: at 18-03-2012 08:16 PM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac

 

Posted: at 18-03-2012 08:34 PM (12 years ago) | Upcoming

NIGERIA IS LIKE THE DEVIL U CANNOT DO WITHOUT, SO BRITAIN MUST BE VERY CAREFULL THIS TIME COS THE NEST IS REPRISAL AT THE EXACT MEASURE, IF NOT THAT OUR GOVERNMENTS AND ITS PARASTATALS RE FOOLS AND WICKED IF NOT THEY COULDNT VE LEFT NIGERIA AIRWAYS TO FALL KNOWING WELL WE NIGERIANS IS AMONG THE WORLD MOST AIR TRAVELLERS

Posted: at 18-03-2012 08:35 PM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac

the white people  have a way of uppressing the third world countries

Posted: at 18-03-2012 10:03 PM (12 years ago) | Hero

They shld do them the same, simple.

Posted: at 18-03-2012 10:15 PM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac

[ok, our government is simply not working, and this is the reason we are taken at any rate.]

ok, our government is simply not working, and this is the reason we are taken at any rate.

Posted: at 18-03-2012 10:44 PM (12 years ago) | Upcoming

They more they act, they more i hate them. Foolish british people

Posted: at 18-03-2012 11:10 PM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac

nigerian gorverment should lean how to get toff with all this european countries, but now they cant do anything to europeans becos all their money are dumpt in europeann banks, so nigerian leaders are foooooools at 40, and that means fools 4 ever. 

Posted: at 19-03-2012 01:06 AM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac

nigerian gorverment should lean how to get toff with all this european countries, but now they cant do anything to europeans becos all their money are dumpt in europeann banks, so nigerian leaders are foooooools at 40, and that means fools 4 ever. 

No be lie u talk my dear. Serious Ewu somalia nai dem be. Otondo!!

Posted: at 19-03-2012 01:20 AM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac

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