Air Peace records highest domestic flight delays as 4,765....

Air Peace recorded the highest number of domestic flight delays in August, with 1,330 disruptions from 1,864 flights operated, as widespread schedule disruptions continued to affect Nigeria’s aviation sector.

Data from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) showed that domestic airlines operated 7,961 flights during the month, of which 4,765 were delayed, representing about 60 per cent of total operations. The authority also recorded 36 cancellations, accounting for less than one per cent of domestic flights.

The figures highlight the scale of operational disruption in the domestic aviation market, with delays far outnumbering outright cancellations and creating additional costs for passengers, airlines and businesses that depend on reliable air travel.

Air Peace accounted for about 28 per cent of all delayed flights recorded during the month. Of its 1,864 operations, 1,330 were delayed, while seven flights were cancelled.

United Nigeria Airlines recorded the second-highest number of delays, with 943 out of 1,231 flights operated, meaning more than three-quarters of its operations were delayed. Enugu Air followed with 582 delays from 878 flights, while ValueJet recorded 435 delays from 767 operations.

Ibom Air reported 254 delays from 560 flights, Aero Contractors 246 from 469, Rano Air 216 from 503, Max Air 204 from 336 and Overland Airways 139 from 239 operations.

Other airlines affected included Arik Air, with 188 delayed flights from 301 operations; Green Africa, 114 from 226; Umza Air, 52 from 403; XE Jet, 40 from 127; and Binani Air, 22 from 57 operations.

The duration of the disruptions was also significant. Of the 4,765 delayed flights, 2,801 were delayed between 16 minutes and one hour, representing the largest category.

Another 1,322 flights experienced delays of between one and two hours, while 407 were delayed between two and three hours. A further 235 flights were delayed for at least three hours.

This means 1,964 domestic flights, or more than 40 per cent of all delayed operations, were held up for more than one hour during the month.

For passengers, prolonged delays can translate into missed business appointments, connecting flights and working hours, while airlines face higher operating costs from extended aircraft turnaround times, crew scheduling disruptions and inefficient fleet utilisation.

The impact is also significant for businesses that rely on air travel to move executives, technical personnel and time-sensitive goods between Nigeria’s major commercial centres. Persistent schedule unreliability can raise the cost of doing business and reduce the productivity gains associated with air connectivity.

Cancellations remained relatively limited compared with delays. United Nigeria Airlines recorded eight cancellations, while Air Peace had seven. Enugu Air recorded four, Max Air four, Rano Air three, Green Africa three, Ibom Air three and ValueJet three. Arik Air recorded one cancellation.

NGEagle recorded no flight operations during the period.

The NCAA statistics provide a snapshot of the operational pressures facing domestic airlines, with aircraft availability, airport congestion, weather and other operational constraints continuing to affect schedule reliability.

The challenge for the sector is therefore not simply reducing cancellations but improving the reliability of flight schedules so that Nigeria’s domestic aviation network can provide the dependable connectivity required by passengers, businesses and the wider economy.