Twenty-SIX carriers operated 13,003 flights into and out of Nigerian international airports last year, data from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has shown.
Documents from the apex civil aviation body also show that 11 indigenous airlines operated 80 328 flights around the country.
The document entitled: “Executive Summary of International and Domestic Operations in Nigeria ( January- December 2022)” also showed that international airlines ferried 1 648, 225 inbound passengers and airlifted 1, 855,467 out of the country, while domestic airlines flew 6,309,664 and 6,359,077 inbound and outbound passengers.
The data also show 4,628 delays and 82 canceled flights on international operations. In contrast, the number for domestic operations stood at a staggering 47,144, with international operations recording 31 air returns and 48,234 baggage delays against domestic operations, 91 air returns, and 449 delayed baggage.
According to the executive summary of international and domestic flight operations last year, the highest number of delays on the domestic scene, according to flight operated and delayed as well as passenger traffic, was by Overland Airways.
The airline operated 2926 flights with 2451 delays accounting for 84 percent delay and 11 cancellations in its operations, followed by Azman Air which had a 69 percent delay percentage as it operated 3,713 and had 2,555 delays with 82 flight cancellations.
Arik Air came next on the list with 9,750 flights and 6,440 delays, accounting for 66 percent of delays in its operations with 110 cancellations.
United Nigeria, which had 42 cancellations, operated 6,097 times and had 4,000 delays also with a 66 percent delay rate.
Dana Air’s operations had 2,906 delays from 4,440 flights at 65 percent, with 24 flights canceled, while Air Peace with 24,449 flights delayed 14,908 also averaging 61 percent and 129 cancellations.
Aero Contractors flew 3,106 times and had 1,889 delays and 99 cancellations; its delay percentage was also 61 percent, while Green Africa operated 4,648 flights with 2111 delays and 79 cancellations with a delay percentage of 45 percent.
For international operations, Cronos had the most miniature operation figure of 53 flights. Still, they led the pack with 41 delays at a 77 percent delay rate, followed by Turkish Airlines,s which operated 654 flights into Nigeria In 2022 with 420 delays at 64 percent.
With 60 percent delays, Kenyan Airways had 344 flights to Nigeria, with 205 of the delays. Air Cote D’ voire operated 609 times into Nigeria with 314 delays at 52 percent.
EgyptAir followed with 706 flights into Nigeria with 350 delays which is a 50 percent delay.
Source: The Nation