Nigeria’s largest airline, Air Peace, has commenced a historic direct flight from Abuja to London Heathrow Airport, marking a major milestone in the nation’s aviation industry.

The inaugural flight took off from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Sunday, October 26, 2025, and is expected to arrive in London the same evening.

The development follows months of negotiations and diplomatic engagements between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

According to a statement by Tunde Moshood, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Management, Festus Keyamo, the minister personally led passengers aboard the maiden Heathrow flight.

Moshood stated: “The flight took off this morning and will arrive this evening in London, marking a new era for Nigeria’s aviation industry.

The minister has been at the forefront of securing reciprocity under the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and the UK.”

He added that Keyamo had written to the UK Secretary of State for Transport, Louise Haigh, on August 1, 2024, insisting that a Nigerian carrier be granted landing rights at both London Gatwick and Heathrow Airport.

Allen Onyema, Chairman of Air Peace, expressed gratitude to the federal government and praised Minister Keyamo’s relentless advocacy for local airlines.

In an interview cited by Vanguard, Onyema urged other Nigerian airlines to acknowledge and support the government’s positive actions, including the recent suspension of a 4% Free-on-Board (FOB) charge previously imposed by the Nigeria Customs Service.

He disclosed that the aviation minister’s intervention led to the removal of the levy, saving local airlines millions in costs and strengthening their global competitiveness.

Speaking at the event, Festus Keyamo highlighted the federal government’s commitment to supporting homegrown airlines, stressing that over 100 Nigerian airlines have collapsed in the last four decades — including Belview, Sosoliso, and Chanchangi.

“If you destroy the private sector in your country, you destroy the country. Every good economy thrives on the wealth and wellbeing of the private sector,” he said.

Keyamo reaffirmed that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is determined to protect and empower indigenous operators, describing the Heathrow flight as a victory for economic sovereignty.

The carrier has also launched monthly flights to Antigua and Barbados, connecting Nigeria directly to the Caribbean through Accra, Ghana.

Aviation analysts have hailed the airline’s international expansion as proof of Nigeria’s growing aviation capacity and urged the government to adopt Air Peace as the nation’s official carrier.