New routes, removal of Nigeria’s from a global watch list and aircraft scarcity marked Nigeria’s aviation industry in 2024.
One of the most significant achievements in 2024 was Nigeria’s removal from the global aviation watch list. This milestone followed the signing of the Cape Town Convention (CTC) practice direction by Justice John Tsoho, chief judge of the Federal High Court, in September. The practice direction resolved issues surrounding the leasing of aviation assets, enabling domestic airlines to access dry lease aircraft.
This progress earned Nigeria a 75.5 percent score on the CTC Compliance Index, placing it in the ‘high compliance’ category and boosting its credibility on the global stage.
Debt clearance with foreign airlines
In a bid to improve relations with international carriers, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) settled $850 million in trapped funds owed to airlines. This action resulted in Nigeria exiting the list of top nine countries with outstanding aviation debts.
Expansion of local airlines
Local carriers also made significant strides in 2024. Air Peace launched direct flights to London’s Gatwick Airport on March 30, despite initial challenges in securing suitable slots.
The airline commenced scheduled flight services from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Nigeria, to the London Gatwick Airport, in the United Kingdom. The airline flight services with its B777 aircraft introduced significantly reduced air fares.
The services launched on March 30, 2024, marks the re-start of flight services by a Nigerian airline connecting the two countries. Previous Nigerian airlines including Nigeria Airways, Bellview, Virgin Nigeria, Arik Air as well as Medview Airlines had ceased operations on the Nigeria-UK route at various times within the past 20 years due to various factors ranging from poor management to aeropolitics.
The re-entry of a Nigerian airline on the Nigeria-UK route had been long-anticipated, and the direct six-hour flights launched by Air Peace stirred a wave of reactions from passengers as well as phenomenal crash in ticket fares by competing airlines on the route.
Meanwhile, XEJet, a new airline, expanded Nigeria’s aviation offerings, creating jobs and boosting local air traffic.
Also, Ibom Air expanded its fleet with the addition of two Bombardier CRJ 900 next-generation aircraft, registered as 5N-CED and 5N-CEE.
These two new CRJ 900s were outright purchases financed through a shareholder loan.
Similarly, United Nigeria Airlines acquired an Embraer 190 aircraft (E190).
Xejet, which had hitherto operated charter service, started scheduled commercial operations.
Emmanuel Iza, chief executive officer, XeJet, said the airline is targeting the first four major cities of Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt, noting that beyond these four cities, the airline would gravitate to where the market is and add more cities as it continues operations.
Iza said the airline took delivery of an Embraer E190, which was undergoing inspection, and hoped to commence operations with it on November 7, 2024.
Read also: Aircraft shortages leave holiday travellers stranded
Safety enhancements
Last year also saw a push for innovation in safety and technology. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) introduced 1,000 live-streaming body cameras for security personnel, monitored via a central command center. This initiative was part of broader efforts to enhance security, reduce harassment, and streamline airport processes.
Additionally, FAAN announced plans to deploy mystery shoppers with body cameras to evaluate security personnel’s performance at screening points. Manual search tables at airports were removed, replaced with more advanced technology to ensure efficiency.
In 2024, Festus Keyamo, Nigeria’s aviation and aerospace minister, received the approval for the procurement of modern scanners for use in five international airports across Nigeria.
The airports are: the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA) and Enugu International Airport, Enugu.
Setbacks
In 2024, ticket racketeering took the centre stage in domestic routes as Nigerian airlines struggled with fleet reduction due to the high maintenance cost.
Findings showed that limited available planes combined with high demand created a perfect storm for scalpers, leading to a rise in passenger extortion and a black market for airline tickets.
Check-in officers of different airlines used delayed tricks at ticketing booths before announcing the close of check-in to keep unsuspecting passengers quiet.
The tickets of those unable to board were sold to the highest-bidding travellers at the terminal in the last moments of the departing flight.
Cost for an economy class ticket skyrocketed from N100,000 to as high as N200,000 to N350,000, making flying out of reach for the average Nigerian.
Airports became a rowdy market place as airlines were being accused of shutting boarding gates 40 minutes to one hour before take-off time, denying passengers their rights to fly, while tickets were still sold to the highest bidders.
In 2024, few aircraft had to feed several passengers on domestic routes as Nigerian airlines struggled with fleet reduction as a result of high cost of maintenance.
Airlines that had sent their aircraft on maintenance were unable to return them as a result of the skyrocketing costs resulting from foreign exchange scarcity.
Others were forced by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to ground their aircraft for inability to send the aircraft for maintenance.
“The principal implication of having few airlines fly certain routes is that the airline or airlines will determine the price of airfares on these routes and this is against the overall interest of the passenger. No opportunity for price discovery, fair competition, and choice,” Seyi Adewale, chief executive officer of Mainstream Cargo Limited, told BusinessDay.
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