Stakeholders laud AMCON’s intervention
The duo of Air Peace and Arik Air airlines have emerged as the most patronised domestic carriers in the country, combining to net one-third of the 15.6 million passenger traffic recorded in 2024.
While Air Peace remained the dominant carrier, transporting 3,114,040 passengers (with 1,544,492 inbound and 1,569,548 outbound travellers), Arik Air followed with a total of 2,239,176 passengers (including 1,112,358 inbound and 1,126,818 outbound).
Ibom Air recorded 1,323,974 passengers, while Aero Contractors transported 964,900. Other domestic airlines included the suspended Dana Air with 299,040 passengers, Green Africa with 389,399, and Max Air 915,918.
The details, as contained in the passenger traffic report of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), show a total of 15.6 million passenger traffic in 2024 – about 200,000 passengers short of 15.8 million recorded in 2023.
The passenger movement statistics indicated that Nigeria recorded 4,135,830 travellers on international routes, comprising both inbound and outbound passengers, while domestic airlines carried 11,549,443 passengers.
For international routes, Qatar Airways led in passenger traffic, carrying 531,086 travellers—257,716 inbound and 273,370 outbound, followed by Ethiopian Airlines with 460,171 passengers, including 224,363 inbound and 235,808 outbound.
British Airways also recorded 320,643 passengers, while Air France transported 254,054, Air Peace carried 247,893, and KLM recorded 158,321. Other international carriers included Kenya Airways with 115,426 passengers, Lufthansa with 248,617, Turkish Airlines with 239,371, and Virgin Atlantic with 218,254 passengers.
For Air Peace, the increase in patronage is not unconnected with its wider coverage of major cities in the country, West Coast operation, and international presence on the London route.
The airline recently marked its first anniversary on the Lagos-London-Lagos route, successfully operating over 662 flights ferrying 136,661 passengers.
Similarly, the record is a feat for Arik Air despite its endless legal battles. It would be recalled that Arik Air has been under the receivership of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) since 2017 and is still embroiled in legal disputes from its founding shareholders. Notwithstanding, the airline has kept its head above the water, operating 10,699 flights within the year under review.
Aviation experts commended the handlers for their exceptional performance against all odds.
The General Secretary of the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative, Olumide Ohunayo, said Arik Air’s performance in 2024 stands out as exceptional despite the airline being under AMCON receivership.
“With a 13.4 per cent market share out of the 11.5 million total domestic passengers, Arik Air’s sustained dominance highlights its strong operational efficiency. This result demonstrates Arik’s operational stability under Receivership. Despite financial constraints, distractive litigations, fleet limitations, and regulatory challenges, the airline continued to deliver reliable air travel services, showing effective route management and passenger demand optimisation.
“It should be noted that Arik Air suffered severe disruptions due to a high court order grounding some of its aircraft last year when mediation was a better option to the instantaneous grounding by the executive,”
The Managing Director of Top Brass Aviation Limited, Capt. Roland Iyayi shared a similar sentiment. Iyayi reckoned that Arik Air transporting 2.2 million passengers and securing the second position in Nigeria’s domestic market, ahead of competitors like Ibom Air (1.3 million), Max Air (915,918), and Aero Contractors (964,900) is a huge and massive achievement, considering the disruptions the airline had suffered under receivership.
He said the airline’s performance is remarkable, given its limited access to fresh capital, ageing fleet, and regulatory hurdles tied to its receivership status.
“The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria’s (AMCON) strategic support deserves recognition for its crucial role in stabilising Arik Air, ensuring its continued operations, and maintaining confidence among passengers.
“Without AMCON’s intervention, the airline would not have remained a key player in Nigeria’s aviation industry. Arik Air’s ability to thrive under receivership reaffirms AMCON’s commitment to preserving jobs, sustaining economic contributions, and ensuring safe, reliable airline services for Nigerian travellers,” Iyayi said.
