Aviation
Experts raise alarm over death of domestic airlines in Nigeria
Aviation experts yesterday raised an alarm on the possible death of all domestic airlines operating in the country in the next five years if adequate measure was not put in place by the Federal Government to salvage the situation.
By Oyise Oghene
Aviation experts Sunday raised an alarm on the possible death of all domestic airlines operating in the country in the next five years if adequate measure was not put in place by the Federal Government to salvage the situation.
This warning is coming barely when two vibrant domestic airlines have gone into oblivion, the suspension of Dana airline due to the ill-fated plane crash that Killed all 153 passengers onboard its aircraft, the McDonnell Douglas 83, MD 83 that crashed at the Iju-Shaga area of Lagos and Air Nigeria which is currently grounded by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) due to financial distress of the airline.
Other airlines like Chanchangi airline and FirstNation airline have all suspended their operations as their aircraft had been taken for maintenance abroad.
At the moment there are only three schedule commercial airlines operating in the country, IRS airline, Arik airline and Aero Contractors airline whose capacity put together have not been be able to adequately provide sufficient air transportation to the Nigerian travelling public.
Contrary to the fact that there are about 19 to 22 airlines operating in the country according to the records of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), investigation conducted by Biztellers reveals that almost all the airlines have gone into extinction leaving only three schedule commercial airline operators which are IRS airline, Aero Contractors and Arik Air while others include Overland Airways, Associated airlines, Bristow Helicopters, OAS, Caverton amongst a few other thus making it inadequate to meet up with the growing demand of air travel in the country.
Speaking on the possibility of the Nigerian aviation industry loosing all its airline if the Federal Government fails to save the situation, President of Nigerian Aviation Safety Initiative (NASI), Captain Dung Pam have said that if care was not taken that Nigeria would not have any indigenous airline whether a regional or domestic carrier flying in the country’s airspace in the next five years.
Disclosing this development to newsmen during an interactive session in his office in Lagos, Captain Pam said”I guarantee you that we will not have any airlines in the next five years”
“All the ones that we have now will go but you know what, they will be replaced and the replacement may not even be an African carrier, I don’t know how many of you is following what is happening now, as you know Telus, the former Chairman of Easy Jet and Robica group are planning to invest about US$500million to start up a low cost carrier based in Accra, Ghana” he said.
Captain Pam further stressed that when this happens all the traffic emanating from the Nigerian aviation industry would be shifted to Ghana thus leaving Nigeria at the receiving end.
He said”As you know Nigeria is at the moment 18 percent of the population of the whole of Africa, we are 47 percent of the population of the whole of West Africa, we provide 65 percent of all the traffic in West Africa now non of our airlines are proven that they are making profit, non not one and that is why I said four days ago and I said final advice to the aviation industry in Nigeria, to the operators consolidate the airlines or die and to the government support, structure or loose strategic control of the industry and that is happening gradually one after the other”
He further pointed out that the only solution for the survival of Nigerian airlines was for them to merge together to become a formidable airline that can compete favourably with other airlines in the world while the government should support the airlines to survive.
Corroborating Captain Dung Pam, The President, Sabre Networks and Former Executive Director, Belleview Airlines, Mr. Gbenga Olowo stressed that the government should be asking the question why are all our airlines dying adding that there could be political under tone to why all these airlines have gone into oblivion.
“If Okada airline will die, if Kabo will die and EAS died, if Bellview of so many years will died and so on, what is Nigeria and its government doing, Is it that all the investors are crazy people, Is it because they are Nigerian, we should be asking the question as a mother why are my children dying. Then we used to hear that there was no political will and you can burn all your money and Okada airlines and others failed with its Boeing 747 that was rousing away at the tarmac because there was no political will. I think we should really ask the government why are our domestic airline dying” he asked.
Mr. Olowo however noted that for sanity to prevail in the aviation industry, the Federal Government must be ready to force all local airlines operating in the country to consolidate into four formidable airlines that can favourably compete with other airlines in the world.
He said”I want to see a Nigeria with four private airlines, very strong ones, for example if you add up all the 22 aircraft in NCAA’s record in the country now, it is less than the fleet of EasyJet or JetUs, these are small airlines operators in Europe and in the USA, some of them have 100 pieces of aeroplanes which ranges 100million dollars”
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced stringent measures against pilots and crew members who work for multiple airlines concurrently, a practice it describes as a serious safety violation.
In a letter dated November 6, 2024, Acting Director-General, Chris Nojomo warned that pilots operating for more than one airline without specific safety protocols pose significant risks to Nigeria’s aviation sector.
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The directive, titled “Prohibition of Ad-Hoc Flight Operators for Multiple Airlines,” noted that NCAA surveillance reports revealed multiple cases of unauthorized cross-airline work by flight crews, which the agency now plans to address.
According to the NCAA, simulator and proficiency checks endorsed on a pilot’s license are valid only for the specific airline and training program under which they were issued.
The letter stated, “With effect from the date of issuance of this directive, all operators and holders of pilot licenses are informed that this action will be treated as a violation of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations.”
The NCAA’s new policy, effective November 11, 2024, warns that violators will face strict enforcement actions. Moving forward, simulator renewals will also be filed directly with individual operators, further tightening the agency’s oversight.
In a bold step to strengthen Akwa Ibom’s position in Nigeria’s aviation industry, Governor Umo Eno announced the addition of two new Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft to the fleet of the state-owned airline, Ibom Air, on Friday.
The two aircraft, registered as 5N-CED and 5N-CEE, mark a milestone in the state’s commitment to strategic investment, with the governor stressing that the acquisitions were fully funded by state resources without loans from financial institutions.
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At a welcoming ceremony attended by local officials and residents, Governor Eno emphasized his administration’s mission to drive revenue-generating ventures for Akwa Ibom rather than relying on debt.
He called the move a step toward breaking the cycle of government investments that only serve to pay off loans, vowing that the state’s funds would go towards projects that bring returns to the people.
The governor challenged Ibom Air to turn a profit by 2025, stating that the airline’s management should ensure routes in and out of Uyo remain dependable to prioritize the needs of Akwa Ibom travelers.
“As long as I remain governor, we will continue to use state funds for the benefit of all, not for private gain,” he said, noting that his administration aims to ensure that public investments deliver real value to the state.
Governor Eno also provided updates on several ambitious state projects, including an 18-story commercial complex underway in Lagos and an upcoming 4-star hotel in Abuja, both designed to generate revenue for Akwa Ibom.
Plans for an international market in Ikot Ekpene and the phased opening of a new terminal at the Victor Attah International Airport were also announced, with the airport terminal set for partial operation by December and full activation in early 2025.
Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Udeme Otong, commended Eno’s financial management, highlighting that the administration has avoided seeking loans over the past 18 months despite launching significant development projects.
Ibom Air’s Chairman, Pastor Imoabasi Jacob, expressed appreciation for the state’s investment in the airline, which has seen its fleet grow to nine aircraft.
Jacob credited the governor’s support with enabling Ibom Air to boost flight capacity, meeting demand on popular routes such as Uyo-Lagos-Abuja.
Captain Mfon Udom, CEO of Ibom Air, stated that the expanded fleet will improve efficiency and allow the airline to scale up its operations in time for the Christmas travel season.
Udom also noted that the airline anticipates the delivery of nine additional Airbus planes, which will further strengthen Ibom Air’s market presence.
Traditional leaders, including HRM Edidem Ita Edet Okokon III of Okobo Local Government Area, lauded the governor’s leadership, pledging continued support from the traditional institutions.
Anie Essienette, Group Manager for Marketing and Communications at Ibom Air, noted that demand for the airline’s services has surged nationwide, with the new CRJ900 aircraft helping meet this increasing need while the airline awaits further fleet expansion.
Nigeria’s Minister for Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo is of the view that there’s no cause for alarm over the approval of a private airstrip for a religious organisation, which attracted the attention of the House of Representatives.
He took to his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X, on Friday morning to shed light on the subject, and explained that it could be a great source of revenue for Federal Government.
Keyamo asserted that the issue was raised by an honourable member at plenary, out of ignorance, but was “unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look into.”
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Keyamo expressed confidence that by the time his Ministry was done enlightening them, “they will be satisfied”.
He added that “the privates air strip owners pay the Federal Government handsomely for these services.”
Keyamo wrote, “I think this is not correct. The House of Reps. as a body did not call on the Minister to revoke the license of any private airstrip.
“I think what happened is that someone moved a motion in that regard and it was unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look into it.
“Whilst the intention of the Hon. Member who moved it is very patriotic, it was based on a complete lack of knowledge of the aviation sector.
“By the time we explain to them how private air strips work and the processes they undergo by our agencies before the final approval, they will be satisfied.
“The responsibility of the owners of private air strips is just to build the runway and terminal building. But after they build the control tower in particular, it is completely handed over to the Federal Government through NAMA (Nigerian Airspace Management Agency) which is in complete control of the entire airspace in Nigeria. An MOU is usually signed with NAMA in this regard before the airstrip is approved for operations.
“It is NAMA that provides the Air Traffic Controllers and Engineers in ALL AIRPORTS and AIRSTRIPS IN NIGERIA. And the privates air strip owners pay the Federal Government handsomely for these services.
“No object flies into Nigeria without the prior clearance by NAMA and without filing a clear flight plan, eg, where it is taking off from and where it intends to land.
“And I have recently directed that all aircraft coming into the country MUST first land at our international airports where they would be properly processed and checked before they make their local flights into whatever airport or airstrip they intend to go. So, it is COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY impossible for any private airstrip owner to just jump on an aircraft and fly in and out of the country through that facility. The Federal Government does not permit that. You will not be cleared for take off or landing without prior request and authorisation.
“I thank the Member for his patriotism, but I wish he contacted us first to explain to him before rushing to move such a motion.
“I attach herewith for public consumption the NAMA Act that gives exclusive control of the Nigerian airspace to the Federal Government through NAMA.”
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