The Federal Government is wrapping up efforts to upgrade air navigation equipment and airport infrastructure as part of its broader strategy to increase the utilisation of aircraft by indigenous airlines.
Nigeria ranks high among countries in the world with low utlisation of aircraft by airlines, ostensibly due to limited operating hours at some airports.
Regulatory data indicates that aircraft on local flights in Nigeria operate between seven to eight hours compared to the global average of 16 to 18 hours.
Experts said low utilisation has been causing facility limitations, forcing operators to focus on maximising existing assets through infrastructure upgrades like airfield lighting to enable all-round operations.
They said low utilisation of aircraft has occasioned a loss averaging not less than hundreds of billions annually for the over 12 scheduled carriers.
To turn the curve, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has begun the modernisation of airport infrastructure.
Confirming this in an interview, its Managing Director, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku , said the authority is already expanding runways, upgrading navigational aids including air field lighting at some aerodromes to extend the operational time as well as meet global standards.
She said six airports and several runways nationwide are currently undergoing government-funded upgrades.
Kuku said airlines could now optimise the use of their aircraft into such airports on account of the provision of airfield lighting and other support facilities.
Speaking in an interview, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Ibom Air., Mr George Uriesi said local carriers are increasingly coming under pressure as a result of underused aircraft.
He said : “This means our aeroplanes are flying roughly half as much as counterparts in Europe and other regions,” Uriesi said. “By the end of the year, we are conducting 1,080 fewer flights per aircraft than the global average. That’s 720 fewer flights translating into revenue we cannot recover.”
Using a conservative estimate of 5 million naira per flight, Uriesi calculated that each underused aircraft costs the airline 3.6 billion naira in lost annual revenue. With Ibom Air’s fleet of nine Airbus A220s, cumulative losses exceed 32 billion naira per year.
“This revenue could be re – invested in operations, infrastructure, and growth, yet remains untapped due to systemic inefficiencies,” he added.
Uriesi noted that many Nigerian airports still do not support full aircraft utilization. “We operate within a very difficult environment,” he said. “In Abuja, ATC defaults to procedural approach management instead of radar. Flights often enter prolonged holding patterns, consuming more fuel and time.”
“Abuja is a very, very, very busy airspace in Nigeria,” he continued.
“They keep the aeroplanes in the air far longer than necessary. There’s constant communication with so many different aircraft during flights.”
“Our pilots are raising safety concerns every minute,” he added. “There are curiosity waves, which pose a real safety issue. Flights to Abuja take much longer, and departing aircraft often sit for 20 minutes before using the runway.”
“If you calculate the fuel impact on airlines, it’s huge,” Uriesi emphasized. “I’m appealing to NAMA. I’ve raised this through other channels, but I’m appealing again: please help the airlines. Use the radar now.”
Fleet size also affects utilization. Uriesi warned that small airlines operating just three to six aircraft cannot achieve sustainable profitability. “Being small is one of the most dangerous positions for an airline. You are always on the verge of falling out. To be profitable, you must grow quickly to 10, 11, 12, 15, 20 aircraft and beyond,” he said. Larger fleets allow better utilization, risk absorption, and negotiating power with financiers and service providers.
Despite these operational challenges, Ibom Air has maintained an 88 percent compounded average growth rate in revenue since 2019. However, much of this success is dampened by underused aircraft.
Uriesi emphasized that improving daily flight hours, even by two or three hours per aircraft, could unlock billions of naira in additional annual revenue.
“Profitability in Nigeria isn’t just revenue minus costs,” he said. “It’s about navigating a complex obstacle course of infrastructure bottlenecks, regulatory fees, and operational inefficiencies. If we could achieve full aircraft utilization, Nigerian airlines would be far more competitive internationally and financially sustainable.”
Uriesi urged government intervention to reduce overflight charges, regional fees, and other financial burdens limiting aircraft productivity.
He also called on airlines to adopt strategies that maximize daily aircraft usage and expand fleet sizes. “The industry has enormous potential. With better utilization and operational support, we could transform billions of naira in lost revenue into growth and profitability.”
Also speaking, Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines , Professor Obiora Okonkwo said operators are grappling with low utilisation of aircraft with adverse financial toll on the business.
He said : “ A typical aircraft in Nigeria will do six to eight sectors; if you have airports with facilities, you could do 10 to 12 sectors. A typical aircraft can fly 18 hours in a day.
“Aircraft we have in Nigeria are under-utilised. We fly only for eight hours and an aircraft is produced to fly 18 hours in a day.
So, the focus should be how do we work to ensure that we maximize utilization of the aircraft.
“And for us who are leasing aircraft, you are more attracted to a lessor who knows you can utilize his aircraft for higher hours, but in Nigeria, the much you can sign is 150 to 200 hours a month. The aircraft we use here for 150 to 200 hours in a month is used about 3,000 hours in a month overseas, especially during the summer. And our airspace here is short range; 45 minutes, one hour.
“So, these are parts of the challenges that we are having.”
Meanwhile, the global aviation industry is experiencing a shortage of available aircraft, leading to record-high utilization rates for the active fleet, rather than widespread underutilization. However, a significant portion of the total fleet remains parked due to specific issues, primarily maintenance and supply chain challenges.
The global commercial fleet comprises approximately 35,550 aircraft, of which about 30,300 are active, and 5,250 are in storage.
