Airlines miss out on Detty December windfall

…Passengers unable to book flights due to aircraft shortages

…Flight delays worsen as road transport booms

Domestic airlines missed out on the opportunity to make more money during the Christmas period as passengers who needed to book flights could not do so due to lack of airplanes.

Diaspora passengers were the most hit. They returned to Nigeria from Europe, the United States and other parts of the world seeking to move to destinations within Nigeria but could not get aircraft due to plane shortages.

Websites of various airlines showed that flights to sought-after local destinations such as Asaba, Anambra, Owerri and Port Harcourt were ‘fully booked’ from mid-December to early January.

While this was an opportunity missed for airlines, it was a windfall for road transport companies as they smiled to the bank, providing diaspora and wealthy local passengers with premium charter services to their destinations.

“Many of my clients that returned from abroad could not get tickets to travel this year as airlines operated few flight frequencies to secondary airports like Asaba, Anambra, Owerri, Calabar, Enugu and Benin. Sadly, these were the highly sought-after destinations but capacity was a problem,” Ndukwe Ginika Ogechi, chief executive officer of Geena Travels and Tours Limited, told BusinessDay.

Ndukwe said some of her clients that were unable to get flights to these destinations paid for premium charter services from credible road transport companies that conveyed them from Lagos or Abuja to their home towns.

She noted that some of her clients that were disappointed over the frequent flight delays and cancellations also resorted to charter road transport services, stressing that they had to write to the airlines for refund.

Flight Delays

For those who managed to secure air tickets, BusinessDay learnt that flight delays and cancellations left many of them stranded, forcing them to seek help from the airlines and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

According to data by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), out of 10,804 flights that operated in September and October 2024, about 5,225 were delayed, representing 48.4 percent of the total. A total of 190 flights were cancelled.

Hence in September 2024, about 5,291 domestic flights were operated, with 2,434 delays and 79 cancellations.

In October, 2024, about 5513 flights were operated, with 2,791 delays and 111 reported cancellations.

Road Transport ‘Charter Galore’

Kelechi Korieocha, co-founder of PKO Transport, described the December period as a ‘charter galore’ period for the company as over 60 percent of its buses and Sienna vehicles were booked for charter.

“We had over 12 families who came from abroad requesting for charter services that would convey them from Lagos to their various home towns. Most of them had complained to us that they could not secure flight to their various destinations. We were quite happy with the remittances that came from diaspora passengers alone this year,” Korieocha said.

He also hinted that charter services they operated in December were more than double what they had two years ago.

Read also: Aircraft shortages leave holiday travellers stranded

Loans to Plug Aircraft Holes

BusinessDay had, in December 2024, reported that the current aircraft size could not match Christmas demand as flight cancellations and delays increased across various destinations despite a boost in capacity.

Two months ago, operators leveraged loans and partnerships to bring in aircraft to feed local routes during the yuletide period, following a noticeable passenger glut owing to depletion in aircraft size across the country.

Three weeks before this, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had hinted that a total of 10 airplanes were coming into Nigeria to help reduce yuletide flight pressure as plans were made to avert chaos and rumpus at Nigerian airports.

BuisnessDay’s findings however show that demand continued to overshoot supply as airlines were unable to airlift all its passengers, with high records of flight delays and cancellations.

In addition to fleet size, the harmattan haze made it difficult for pilots to land and take off on schedules, thereby worsening the delays and cancellations.

Passengers’ Experience

Udo Peace, a diaspora passenger from London, who could not get flight to Imo State for herself and her four children, said she had to charter a bus from a reputable road transport company to her hometown in Arondizuogu, Imo State.

“All efforts to get a flight for myself and family was futile as either the flights were fully booked or they had two or three seats which were sold at very exorbitant prices. I was worried about road transportation because of insecurity, but I was left with no option. I gave it a try and I’m happy I did,” Peace said.

Michael Achimugu, director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NCAA, who confirmed the requests for refunds from several passengers recently over flight delays and cancellations, promised that the authority would stop at nothing to ensure that all passengers get their refunds.

“I walked into the scene one evening while trying to catch a flight myself. Passengers were really angry and threatening to become violent. I insisted that the airline provide transportation back to the central area for all passengers.

“I personally paid for nearby accommodation for a few elderly passengers who looked too weak after the lengthy wait. The airline agreed to pay 50 percent compensation to the passengers and agreed to also refund those who sought refunds. I told the passengers that they could redeem that 50 percent by cash rather than rebate if they wanted,” Achimugu said.

NCAA’s Enforcement Actions

This is coming after the NCAA had initiated enforcement actions against five airlines over flight delays, cancellations, failure to refund fares and missing luggage, amongst others.

For over one year, stakeholders had raised concerns over passenger glut owing to fleet reduction due to high cost of maintenance.

Airlines that had sent their aircraft on maintenance have been unable to return them as a result of the skyrocketing costs owing to the foreign exchange scarcity.

Others were forced by the NCAA to ground their aircraft for their inability to send them for maintenance, BusinessDay’s checks show.