After years of lobbying, Air Peace, Nigeria's de facto national carrier, has secured approval to launch flights between Abuja's Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (ABV) and London-Heathrow Airport (LHR), starting October 26, 2025. The airline, which began operating Lagos to London-Gatwick (LGW) in March 2024 due to Heathrow's slot scarcity, will offer four weekly Abuja-Heathrow flights using its Boeing 777 fleet. The 777-200s seat 274 passengers, and the 777-300 accommodates 319, complementing its three weekly Lagos-Gatwick services in the 2025-26 winter season.Air Peace's chairman, Dr. Allen Onyema, praised President Bola Tinubu and Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo for their support, emphasizing the airline's role in representing Nigeria globally. The carrier had accused UK airlines British Airways and Virgin Atlantic of preferential treatment at Heathrow, a claim denied by the UK government, which cited slot availability constraints. In September 2025, Air Peace's slot application for Heathrow was rejected for being late, with UK Transport Secretary Louise Haigh noting Heathrow's capacity limits—290,580 slots available for Summer 2024 against 319,721 requested.Slots at Heathrow occasionally become available through airlines dropping services, realigning portfolios, or failing to meet "use-it-or-lose-it" rules. Air Peace secured four slot pairs for its Abuja service, possibly through slot trading, though such practices are rarely publicized. It remains unclear if the airline will shift its Lagos-Gatwick flights to Heathrow.Despite a ban on Dubai flights by UAE authorities, Air Peace plans to launch Nigeria-Guangzhou routes in October 2025 and Nigeria-Antigua and Barbuda flights in September 2025, supported by a fourth Boeing 777 delivery. Operating a diverse fleet, including Airbus A320s, Boeing 737s, and Embraer jets, Air Peace serves 39 routes across 21 destinations in 11 countries.