Lack of aircraft, reason for flight disruptions in Nigeria – NCAA

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, says lack of capacity by Nigerian airlines is the major reason for flight disruptions and delays in the country.

The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at NCAA, Michael Achimugu, disclosed this in an interview with DAILY POST at an event organised by the agency in Abuja on Wednesday.

This comes amid the surge in passenger flight delays and cancellations in the Nigerian aviation sector.

Speaking on the development, Achimugu stressed that the lack of adequate aircraft by Nigerian airline operators is responsible for the flight disruption challenge.

He, however, said with the recent signing of the Cape Town Convention (CTC) practice direction to enable domestic airline operators access aircraft on dry lease, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had addressed the problem.

He added that plans are underway to calibrate the country’s airports as another solution to flight disruption.

“In Nigeria, we have a capacity problem. We simply do not have enough aircraft to fly people around the country.

“The Honourable Minister has stated this. We will help ourselves by hiding the truth. However, there are solutions. The most important solution is what the minister has facilitated with the signing of the Cape Town Convention. Now more planes can come into the country.

“Lack of capacity is the major reason for flight disruption. Once there is a disruption in the morning, any particular flight affects another route. Also, on the part of government, some airports need calibration,” he told DAILY POST.

Recall that Nigeria’s Aviation Minister, Keyamo recently announced that Nigeria is no longer blacklisted globally as the country’s rating had risen to 75.5 percent.