Business
British Airways ‘admits’ to tax evasion in Nigeria – may face legal action
Ultimatum
Last month Nigeria’s Aviation minister Stella Oduah issued a 30-day ultimatum to British Airways and Virgin Atlantic to review downwards their air fares on Lagos-London route or face a ban.
The minister had threatened to shut out British airlines from Nigeria’s aviation market over what she considered as unfair levies imposed on Nigerian travellers.
Nigeria’s authorities argued that British Airways and Virgin Atlantic charged far more for flights on Lagos-London route than they charged on neighboring London-Accra route of almost equal distances.
Before the fare war, Nigeria and Britain have had differences late last year over airport landing slots, in which Nigeria’s Arik Air recently ended its daily flights between Abuja and London due to allegations by Arik that authorities at London’s Heathrow International Airport were denying the airline arrival and departure slots at its facilities.
While British Airways and Virgin share 21 return flights a week from UK to Nigeria according to an their BASA agreement, Nigerian airlines are also allowed 21 flights; however Arik Air, Nigeria’s only carrier, has had its landing slots at Heathrow recently cut.
