Domestic airline operations are fraught with a high number of flight delays and cancellations which have rendered countless passengers stranded and frustrated.
Airline operators have blamed the delay on a myriad of problems but at the heart of the excuses was the shortage of aviation fuel and scarcity of forex to buy equipment needed for maintenance.
The cancellations and delays became increasingly worrisome in 2022 especially when the scarcity fueled the rise in the prices of aviation fuel.
Data by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority showed there was a significant increase in the number of flight delays and cancellations in 2022 and Iwitnesslive highlights the airlines with the highest number of figures.
1. Overland Airways
The NCCA data showed that the Lagos-based airline recorded the highest number of flight delays and cancellations last year. The record showed that out of the 2,926 operated by the airline between January and December last year, it delayed 2,451 of them which represented 84 per cent of the total operations. The headline also cancelled 11 flights within the period under review.
Overland scheduled destinations include Abuja, Lagos, Ilorin, Bauch, Asaba, Jigawa and Akure.
2. Azman Air
Azman Air is now notorious for flight delays and cancellations; the airline recorded 82 flight cancellations in 2022 alone with as many as 2,555 of their 3,713 flights being delayed.
This figure represents about 69 per cent delay percentage.
With its base in Kano, the airline has merely six flights in its fleet and has 11 domestic destination schedules and two international routes.
3. Arik Air
One of the biggest airlines in Nigeria with 14 aircraft including four Boeing 737-700 and three Boeing 737-800.
Arik operated a whopping 9,750 domestic flights in 2022 alone; butut out of that figure the airline recorded 6,440 delays and 110 cancellations. This invariably means that the airline delayed 66 per cent of its flight in that year.
4. The United Nigeria
The Enugu-based airline operated 6,097 domestic flights in 2022 with 4,000 of them delayed.
This means that 66 per cent of its flight schedule within the year was delayed.
The Prof. Obiorah Okonkwo-owned airline has four aircraft in its fleet. The company operated mainly in the South-East and South of Nigeria connecting to Lagos and Abuja
5.Dana Air
Out of the 4,440 flights operated by Dana Air in the year under review 24 of them were cancelled while 2,906 were delayed representing 65 per cent.
Dana Air which was founded in 2002 currently has eight aircraft in its fleet including five McDonnell Douglas MD-83.
6. Air Peace
Many Nigerians have been frustrated by the activities of Air Peace which is regarded as the biggest airline in the country with flight delays and outright cancellations.
Being the biggest airline in Nigeria, it is no surprise that it operated 24,449 domestic flights in just one year. However, 14,908 of those flights were actually delayed with a percentage of 65 per cent.
The NCAA’s data also showed that 24 of those flights suffered outright cancellations.
Founded in 2013 by a lawyer-turned-businessman Allen Onyema, Air Peace has a whopping 33 aircraft in its fleet with a presence in all the airports in the country.
7. Aero Contractors
Another giant airline operated 3,106 times in 2022 but delayed 1,889 of the flights accounting for a 61 per cent delay rate.
The data also shows that the airline recorded 79 cancellations within the year.
Aero Contractors owned by the Ibru family has seven aircraft in its fleet.
8. Green Africa
One of the newest airlines in the country with just three aircraft operated 4,648 flights in 2022 and 2,111 of them were delayed.
The airline, which started operation in 2021, even had more outright cancellations than Air Peace with 79 of the 4,648 flights were cancelled.
