The non-stop services we found leave from London. According to the airlines' own pages, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic fly from London Heathrow to Lagos, Air Peace flies from London Gatwick to Lagos, and British Airways flies from Heathrow to Abuja. Air Peace also lists Abuja flights from both Heathrow and Gatwick. From Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and other UK airports, you connect through a hub or travel to London first. Which Nigerian city suits you depends mostly on where you are going and whether you can book one ticket all the way.
This guide covers the questions behind flights to Nigeria from the UK for people who do not live near London: which airports, which city, what to check, and what the official advice says. For a quote, start from our Nigeria destination page.
We read the sources listed at the end on 13 October 2026. Airline timetables change with the seasons, and the winter season starts in late October, so treat the airline details below as a starting point and check days and airports for your own dates.
Which UK airports have non-stop flights to Nigeria?
On the airline pages we read, non-stop flights to Nigeria depart from London only. From other UK airports, the journeys the airlines list involve a change of plane.
| UK departure | Nigerian airport | Non-stop operators the airlines list | What the airline pages say |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Heathrow (LHR) | Lagos (LOS) | British Airways, Virgin Atlantic | British Airways lists about 6 hours 35 minutes from London. Virgin Atlantic lists Lagos daily, about 7 hours |
| London Heathrow (LHR) | Abuja (ABV) | British Airways, Air Peace | British Airways lists about 6 hours 30 minutes from London. Air Peace lists Abuja and London Heathrow flights, three weekly |
| London Gatwick (LGW) | Lagos (LOS) | Air Peace | Air Peace lists a daily Lagos and London Gatwick service |
| London Gatwick (LGW) | Abuja (ABV) | Air Peace | Air Peace lists Abuja and London Gatwick flights, three weekly |
| Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Aberdeen and others | Lagos or Abuja | None found | See the next section |
The frequencies in the table are Air Peace's and Virgin Atlantic's own wording on the dates we read. We do not state British Airways' days or frequencies, because the pages we read do not give them. Schedules change, so check before you book.
Heathrow and Gatwick are on opposite sides of London, so the airport on your ticket matters on the day. Look for the code on the itinerary: LHR is Heathrow and LGW is Gatwick. Work out how you will reach that airport before you pay, especially for an early departure.
Should you fly into Lagos or Abuja?
We do not rank the two cities, and the facts below favour neither. Start with where you are going.
| Lagos | Abuja | |
|---|---|---|
| Airport | Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) | Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (ABV) |
| Non-stop from London, as the airlines list it | British Airways and Virgin Atlantic (Heathrow); Air Peace (Gatwick) | British Airways (Heathrow); Air Peace lists Heathrow and Gatwick |
| British Airways' published time from London | About 6 hours 35 minutes | About 6 hours 30 minutes |
| Official UK advice | The FCDO gives Lagos its own paragraph, under South West Nigeria | The FCDO gives Abuja its own paragraph, under North Central Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory |
Ask yourself four things:
- Where do you need to be? The FCDO places Lagos and Abuja in different regions of Nigeria. If your family or your appointments are near one of them, that settles it for most trips.
- Is there a domestic leg? If your final destination is another city, ask whether the Nigerian leg can be on the same ticket as your flight from the UK.
- What does the return look like? Air Peace's website says passengers connecting through Abuja to London Heathrow or Gatwick must collect their checked bags in Abuja and re-check them. If your return starts in another Nigerian city, ask whether that applies to your ticket.
- What do the quotes show for your dates? We do not rank the cities by fare. Ask for quotes to both and compare them for your dates.
Can you fly to Nigeria from Manchester, Birmingham or Glasgow?
Airlines list routes to Lagos from regional airports, so the answer is yes in the sense that you can book a journey. We found no non-stop from these airports, so expect a change of plane. The pages we read do not always name the connecting airport.
| UK airport | Airlines whose own pages list Lagos from here | What the page shows |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester | KLM, Air France, Emirates | Each airline lists a Manchester to Lagos route |
| Birmingham | KLM, Air France, Emirates | Each airline lists a Birmingham to Lagos route |
| Glasgow | KLM, Emirates | Each airline lists a Glasgow to Lagos route |
| Edinburgh | Emirates | Emirates lists an Edinburgh to Lagos route |
| Newcastle | Emirates | Emirates lists a Newcastle to Lagos route |
| Aberdeen | KLM | KLM lists an Aberdeen to Lagos route |
Those pages also show fares for set dates. We do not repeat them, because they change daily and apply only to the dates shown. A listing on an airline's page does not tell you that the route runs on your dates, so check which airports and days apply to your travel. Other airlines may connect these airports too, and we can check your airport and dates if you ask.
KLM's Nigeria page names Port Harcourt (PHC) as well as Lagos and Abuja. Air France's page also lists London to Abuja.
Is it worth travelling to London for a non-stop?
Your home airport decides this. You have two realistic options:
- Travel to London for the non-stop. You avoid a connection but add a journey to Heathrow or Gatwick. Price the train, coach or domestic flight, any hotel for an early departure, and the time you will spend on the way.
- Connect from your home airport. You skip the journey to London, but the whole trip runs longer and includes a wait at a hub.
Whichever you pick, ask whether the whole journey is on one ticket. What happens if you miss a connection, and whether your bags are checked through to Nigeria, depends on the tickets and the airlines involved, so check before you book.
How do you read journey times on a connecting trip?
British Airways' route pages give about 6 hours 35 minutes from London to Lagos and about 6 hours 30 minutes from London to Abuja. Virgin Atlantic lists about 7 hours to Lagos. Flight times vary by direction, season and schedule, and your ticket shows the scheduled time for your date.
A journey with a change takes longer. You fly two sectors and wait between them, so the total depends on the connecting airport and the length of the wait. We do not quote a figure for connecting journeys, because we have not seen one on an airline page for your airport. Ask for the elapsed time from your first departure to your final arrival, not only the time in the air.
What changes with bags and tickets on a connecting trip?
The allowance depends on the airline, the fare and sometimes the route. On a journey with a change, check the allowance for every flight on the ticket, not just the first, and ask for it in writing on your quote before you pay. Our Christmas guide to flying home to Nigeria has more on baggage.
If you will pass through Abuja on the way back to London with Air Peace, read its baggage re-check notice on its website and allow extra time at the airport.
What about Port Harcourt and other Nigerian cities?
Many travellers fly to Lagos or Abuja and then continue within Nigeria. We have not checked domestic timetables, so ask us whether a domestic leg can be quoted on the same ticket as your international flight. KLM's Nigeria page names Port Harcourt as a destination, so a single ticket to that city may be possible, depending on the airline and your dates.
Before you plan any onward journey, read the FCDO advice for the state you would reach. The FCDO's safety page also covers road travel, including carjacking on urban roads, so read it before you plan an overland leg.
What does UK government advice say before you book?
The FCDO advises against all travel to some parts of Nigeria and against all but essential travel to other parts. Its advice describes risks including violent street crime, kidnap and terrorism. Read the current FCDO advice for every place you plan to visit before you book: gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/nigeria.
The advice we read was updated on 28 September 2026 and was marked as current on 13 October 2026. It changes, so read it again on the day you book and before you fly.
The FCDO gives separate guidance for Lagos and for Abuja (Federal Capital Territory) on its regional risks page. We do not compare them, and this page does not say that either city is safer than the other. Read both paragraphs for the place where you will stay and the places you will travel through.
The FCDO says no travel can be guaranteed safe, and that your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against its advice. Check your policy against your route and your destination before you buy a ticket.
On transport, the FCDO advises that taxis, including app-based taxi services, can pose a kidnap risk to passengers, and suggests using a driver arranged through your hotel where possible.
What do you need to enter Nigeria on a British passport?
- Visa. UK passport holders need a visa. Apply online through the Nigeria Immigration Service e-Visa portal before you travel. GOV.UK says visa on arrival is no longer available. The Nigeria Immigration Service's tourism visa page lists that visa as not extendable, so plan your stay to fit it.
- Passport validity. GOV.UK says your passport must have an expiry date at least 6 months after the date you arrive.
- Children. Children travelling on a British passport need their own Nigerian visa. The Nigeria Immigration Service lists a birth certificate and a parental consent letter among the documents for minors.
- Yellow fever. GOV.UK says you must have a certificate to prove you have had a yellow fever vaccination to enter Nigeria. The FCDO says infants aged 8 months or younger and adults aged 61 or older are exempt. TravelHealthPro also lists the certificate as required and words the age limits differently (infants under 9 months and adults over 60), so check both.
- Landing and departure card. GOV.UK says foreign visitors complete these online.
- Health declaration. Check whether you need the Nigeria Health Declaration Form. The FCDO and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control say it applies to travellers arriving from countries with Ebola virus disease transmission. Virgin Atlantic's notice says anyone travelling to Nigeria must complete one. Check the NCDC's health declaration page and your airline's notice before you fly, as the position may change.
- Vaccines and malaria. GOV.UK says to check the latest vaccine recommendations at least 8 weeks before your trip. TravelHealthPro lists a high risk of malaria in Nigeria and recommends antimalarial tablets. Ask a health professional which suit you.
Dual nationals have a separate question. The Nigeria Immigration Service publishes a visa class for Nigerians by birth who hold another passport, and says interchangeable use of passports is not allowed. The rules for how a dual national should enter are not clear from the pages we read. We cover this in our guide to which passport to use when flying to Africa.
Entry rules change. Read GOV.UK's Nigeria entry requirements again before you book, and see our Christmas guide for the e-Visa steps in order.
Does travelling in December change anything?
If you are flying in December, our guide to flying home to Nigeria for Christmas covers the booking order and the points that apply to that month. The airport choices above apply in every month.
How can Travel Orbit help?
Send us your home airport, your dates, the number of travellers, how many bags you plan to take and where in Nigeria you are going. We will check what operates for your dates and which airport suits you.
Travel Orbit searches several airlines through our booking systems and quotes you the options, so you can compare routes before you choose.
Use the enquiry form or email [email protected], and read the Nigeria destination page for more on the country.
Sources
We read these pages on 13 October 2026.
- GOV.UK, Nigeria travel advice (warnings and insurance): https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/nigeria/warnings-and-insurance
- GOV.UK, Nigeria entry requirements: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/nigeria/entry-requirements
- GOV.UK, Nigeria safety and security: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/nigeria/safety-and-security
- GOV.UK, Nigeria regional risks: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/nigeria/regional-risks
- GOV.UK, Nigeria health: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/nigeria/health
- TravelHealthPro, Nigeria: https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries/nigeria
- Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, health declaration page: https://healthapp.ncdc.gov.ng/
- Nigeria Immigration Service, tourism visa: https://immigration.gov.ng/info-center/tourism-visa-f5a/
- Nigeria Immigration Service, visa for Nigerians by birth holding another passport: https://immigration.gov.ng/info-center/returning-holders-of-foreign-passports-nigerians-by-birth-f9a/
- British Airways, London to Lagos route page: https://hotline.britishairways.com/content/flights/nigeria/lagos
- British Airways, London to Abuja route page: https://hotline.britishairways.com/content/flights/nigeria/abuja
- Virgin Atlantic, flights to Lagos: https://www.virginatlantic.com/where-we-fly/africa/nigeria/lagos
- Virgin Atlantic, Nigeria travel advisory: https://www.virginatlantic.com/travel-news/nigeria-travel-advisory-ebola-information
- Air Peace, home page: https://flyairpeace.com/
- KLM, flights to Nigeria: https://www.klm.co.uk/en-gb/flights-to-nigeria
- Air France, flights to Nigeria: https://wwws.airfrance.co.uk/en-gb/flights-to-nigeria
- Emirates, flights to Lagos: https://www.emirates.com/uk/english/destinations/flights-to-lagos/
For how Lagos and Abuja compare with other African routes, see our guide to flight times from the UK to Africa.