Nigeria ready to offer South Africa Fifth Freedom traffic right

• Airlink to begin services to Lagos

Nigeria may have begun to reshape its Bilateral Air Services Agreement with some countries by receiving requests for Fifth Freedom rights with Nigeria.

Last year, Nigeria changed its agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) to the Open Skies agreement tailored towards Nigeria’s agreement with the United States of America.

Nigeria granted five airlines flight rights and fifth freedom, meaning that they can fly to any destination with as many frequencies.

The designated Airlines are Etihad Airways, Emirates, flydubai, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, and Wizz Air Abu Dhabi as designated airlines of the UAE.

Stakeholders likened it to signing an ‘Open Skies’ with the UAE. That is what it means. They said it is not different from ‘Open Skies’; it is just that they did not call it ‘Open Skies’. You sign an Open Skies when you can’t reciprocate”.

South Africa has followed suit as the country has requested fifth freedom traffic rights from Nigeria and an additional airline designation to operate direct flights between Cape Town and Lagos.

Spokesman for the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Tunde Moshood, disclosed that the request was made on Tuesday on the sidelines of the ongoing International Civil Aviation Negotiation (ICAN) 2025 Summit in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Fifth freedom traffic rights allow an airline to carry passengers and cargo between two foreign countries on a flight that begins or ends in its home country.

For example, a flight from Airline A’s home country could fly to Country B, pick up passengers, and then continue to Country C, all while picking up and dropping off passengers at both intermediate foreign destinations. This is often seen in international travel, with airlines using foreign hubs to connect passengers and cargo markets.

Consequently, South Africa is expected to designate Airlink on the Cape Town–Lagos route, alongside South African Airways (SAA), which already holds designation under the existing Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between both nations.

Nigeria holds the short end of the stick, and that could potentially put the South African carriers at an advantage over Nigerian carriers, as no Nigerian carrier operates to South Africa.

Air Peace was designated to the Johannesburg route, but Air Peace suspended flight service to Johannesburg in 2022, citing turbulent times the aviation industry was experiencing with Jet A1 fuel increases, scarcity of forex and a delay in visa issuance for South African travel passengers. It had to stop the service.

South African Airways operates to Nigeria from Johannesburg and plans to further expand its operations in the country by increasing frequencies and operations.

Moshood noted that the Nigerian team is currently reviewing South Africa’s request in line with national interest and the reciprocity principles that guide international air service agreements.

Speaking during the bilateral negotiations, Keyamo reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to fostering mutually beneficial aviation partnerships, stressing that all discussions at ICAN 2025 would be assessed on equity, market balance, and their potential impact on the national economy.

“We welcome every opportunity to enhance air connectivity, but Nigeria will only grant additional rights where there is clear mutual benefit and fairness to our local carriers,” Keyamo stated.

He explained that Nigeria’s active participation at ICAN 2025 reflects the government’s broader vision to strengthen aviation diplomacy, deepen regional cooperation, and expand market access for Nigerian airlines.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s delegation is also holding talks with representatives from Scandinavia, Hong Kong, and Tanzania to review existing BASAs aimed at boosting trade, tourism, and investment through improved air links.

The Nigerian delegation, led by Keyamo, included the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Capt. Chris Najomo, and senior officials from the Ministry of Aviation and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

Wole Shadare