Flight dispute: UK officials to meet FG today

Top officials of the United Kingdom Government arrived in the country over the weekend to hold discussions with the Federal Government over the flight dispute, which broke out between the two countries two weeks ago.Sources close to the situation said officials from the UK Department of Transport would meet with their counterparts in the Federal Ministry of Aviation in Abuja on Monday (today).The Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi, had a fortnight ago slashed British Airways flight frequencies into the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, from seven per week to three. The decision, government said, was the consequences British Airways has to face for elbowing out a Nigerian carrier from Heathrow Airport on its Abuja-London flights.A Nigerian carrier was allegedly denied take-off and landing slots at the Heathrow Airport in October. BA has until November 15 to ensure the Nigerian carriers slots in Heathrow are restored or face the consequences of losing four of its seven weekly slots at the MMIA. BA, however, stressed that the issue of slots at Heathrow were managed by an independent company called ACL. But the Nigerian government is alleging that BA bought the same slots, which were denied the Nigerian carrier. BA has yet to categorically deny this allegation. But a source close to the aviation ministry said on Sunday that the matter had gone beyond the airline, adding that the issue was now a diplomatic row between the two countries.
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