Nigeria’s airline, Air Peace, is to compete with another African airline, Ugandan Airlines, on the busy London Gatwick Airport.
The Ugandan Airlines is set to commence direct flights to the Gatwick Airport in December after securing slots.
The airline initially secured slots at Heathrow Airport, which is yet to be cleared by aviation authorities.
Ugandan Airlines, which recently commenced direct flights to Nigeria, is setting the stage for an important expansion in the next five years.
As part of its growth strategy, the airline has launched new international flights to London Gatwick Airport by the end of 2024.
Securing slots at London’s main airports has been a challenge for many African airlines, including Air Peace, which commenced flights on the Lagos-London route on March 30 this year.
The development is due to high demand and limited slots on the London route.
According to reports, after failing to secure slots at the busy Heathrow airport, the airline has successfully acquired slots at the London Gatwick Airport, the same as Nigeria’s airliner, Air Peace.
Ugandan Airlines secured the slot after completing the ICAO safety audits.
In June of this year, the airline, led by its CEO, Jenifer Bamaturaki, travelled to the United Kingdom for meetings with UK aviation regulators, the business community, and the Diaspora Ugandans.
The airline initially secured slots for London Heathrow Airport after it received two Airbus A330-800 Neo aircraft four years ago in February 2021.
However, due to a lack of updated certification status, the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority and the European Aviation Safety Agency have yet to clear the airline for flights.
