The British Government yesterday declared that the Nigerian government has no legal basis to ban foreign airlines operting in the country over controversial airfare disparity.
In an exclusive online interaction with The Nation yesterday in Abuja, the British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Giles Lever said that a ban on either the British Airline (BA) or Virgin would be a breach of the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA).
The interview went thus:
Is it true that fare disparity is a deliberate action by the British government to exploit Nigerians?
The British Government has no role in setting the fares of privatelyowned airlines such as BA and Virgin flying to Nigeria. The bilateralAir Services Agreement (BASA) states that “tariffs should be set freely and independently by the designated airlines on an economic basis”.
There is no disparity in economy class, where most ordinary Nigerians fly. Indeed, economy class prices from Nigeria on British airlines are often lower than from elsewhere in the region.
Is the British government exploiting other means of resolving the crisis especially when the Nigerian Senate has stepped into the matter?
The UK and Nigeria have a strong relationship based on shared friendship, history, values, mutual respect and honesty. Our President and Prime Minister have committed to an ambitious agenda of bilateral cooperation covering trade and investment, development, security, people-to-people and much else besides. We want to continue to discuss this issue of air services with the Nigerian government in the spirit of this partnership.
Can BA justify the fare disparity?
There is no fare disparity in economy class, where most ordinary Nigerians fly. Indeed economy class prices from Nigeria on British airlines are often lower than from elsewhere in the region.
What is the British government reaction to the threats by the Nigerian Senate, the Nigerian Bar Association and the government to take decisive action against BA if it does not change the policy?
The UK-Nigeria partnership is hugely important to us- we want to see stronger air links between our two countries with more competition and choice, not less
