Nigeria and the United Kingdom yesterday met to find lasting solutions to alleged violation of the principles of Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) by the British authorities.
Nigerian international carriers such as Arik and Bellview airlines, have been denied access to the Heathrow International Airport in London which the Federal Government was contesting as a breach of the agreement which Nigeria entered with them.
The Minister of State for Air Transport, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, briefing journalists in Abuja after the meeting, said the meeting was productive with the British government promising to address the issue within a few days.
He vowed to take extreme measures against the British government if they failed to redress the situation.
�We did make our position known to the UK that if they fail to redress the situation and allow domestic airline operators access into London Heathrow Airport, that is a violation of BASA agreement we entered with them. Consequently, we would retaliate that violation by diverting their flights to Kano International Airport or Ilorin Airport as the case may be.
�They told us their challenges that Heathrow Airport was managed by a private company but that is a frivolous excuse as far as air agreement is concerned. We are not second class people and we would not accept any form of racism. We will not allow our airlines to suffer unjustly or our people treated with disdain especially where we have air agreement in place,� the minister said.
He emphasised that if the attitude continued, it would affect the relationship between Nigeria and Britain in terms of air travel.