The aviation sector in Nigeria has been witnessing tremendous nosedive in passengers’ volume in recent time, leading to incessant flight cancellations and delays, as the case may be.
The Nigeria’s aviation regulatory body, the Nigeran Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), in research conducted on the airlines’ performance, scores the country low in the area of operational efficiency and respect for human rights by the airline operators
The sector started the first quarter of 2025 slowly with the twin monsters of flight delays and cancellations, including high number of lost baggage which continued unabated and put the sector in a very precarious situation.
Flight delay by domestic airlines continues, taking the joy out of air travel and culminating in the sharp decline in passenger volume in the recent time.
The NCAA’s summary of flight operations in 2024 reveals that almost half of the domestic flights in Nigeria and about 40 percent of foreign flights were delayed.
These statistics has caused a lot of uproar, even as some of the operators have disputed parts of the figures released by the aviation regulatory body.
Green Africa said its August 2024 performance shows 456 scheduled flights, with 453 operated, 53 delayed, and four canceled while NCAA’s data for the same month reported 416 operated flights, 101 delays, and four cancellations for the airline.
Ibom Air, in what it termed the ‘Authentic Figures,’ said the carrier operated 9,155 flights, 1,977 delays and 427 cancelled flights.
According to the NCAA data, the Nigerian aviation sector recorded the highest number of flight disruptions in its history in 2024.
Air Peace is at the top of the list, with 7,619 delayed flights out of 15,413 total flights in the year.
United Airlines comes a distant second with 4,559 delayed flights out of 7,794 total flights operated, while Arik Air is the third with 5,027 delayed flights out of 10,699 total flights operated.
In terms of cancelled flights, Air Peace is at the top of the list, with 333 flights cancelled. Arik Air and Ibom Air are in the second and third positions, with 215 and 140 cancelled flights, respectively.
Nigerian airlines and even their foreign counterparts, have under-performed in terms of schedule integrity as flight delays and outright cancellations dominated the last quarter of 2024 and continued into the current year.
Frequent flyers who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune, attributed the sharp decline in the volume of passengers to low purchasing power of many Nigerians in the face of the lingering prostrate economy of the nation.
Bode Oluwafemi, Czar of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), said many Nigerians are shunning flight and prefer to travel with their cars largely as a result of the sky-bound ticket fee and the resultant fluctuations often witnessed in time keeping by airlines.
“Sometimes you will have to pay as much as N250,000 for an hour flight. And most disappointing is getting to the airport only to see that your flight is delayed unnecessarily or outrightly cancelled.
“As if that is not enough, the abrasive way some airline staff treat such situations is worrisome. They announce cancellations or delays with little or no concern; sometimes making you feel they are doing you a favour for the service you paid for,” Oluwafemi said.
However, Aviation consultant and former Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Dr. Richard Aisuebeogun, who agreed to the odd situation, still saw the light at the end of the tunnel; as he noted that the Nigerian aviation industry has witnessed significant developments in 2024, with a mix of achievements and challenges.
According to him, the industry has to a considerable measure shown resilience despite the economic volatility and high cost of air transportation.
Aisuebeogun said the last year scored some positive points for the sector through government’s efforts to resolve the $800 million debt issue with foreign airlines, which he said have gone a long way to restore international confidence in Nigeria’s aviation industry.
This move, he said, has paved the way for Nigerian airlines to expand their operations globally, including Air Peace’s historic entry into the UK market.
Aisuebeogun also touched on the growth recorded by Nigerian airlines which have continued to modernise their fleets, with notable acquisitions by Air Peace, Ibom Air, and Overland Airways.
The Cape Town Convention (CTC) agreement was also said to have opened up opportunities for dry leasing, enabling airlines to access international financiers.
He also scored the country high in the area of infrastructure development, including the installation of airfield lighting systems and radar equipment at various airports.
The upgrade of air traffic management systems to satellite-based navigation is also mentioned as a significant step forward.
However, high operating costs, he said, have constituted an obstacle.
“The industry has faced challenges due to the high cost of Jet-A1 fuel, low passenger traffic, and non-availability of foreign exchange for maintenance,” he said.
The former FAAN boss observed that service quality by providers to passengers has been below quality, “including flight delays and unacceptable incidents of rights abuse.”
The result of these shortcomings, he said, snowballed into some safety hitches leading to some non-fatal incidents, including a helicopter crash involving East Wind Aviation.
Moving forward. Aisuebeogun proposed that government should commence airport concessions and concentrate more on inviting private sector investment in airport infrastructure.
Improved immigration processing was also highlighted as part of the ways forward, which includes, collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Aviation and the Ministry of Interior Affairs.
According to some industry pundits, a lull in commercial activities is expected in every first quarter of a new year.
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