Air Peace, Max Air, Arik Air most guilty as 55% of domestic flights delayed in Q1 2023

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) says Air Peace delayed the highest number of domestic flights in the first quarter of 2023. 

The aviation authority made this known in a report on international and domestic flight operations.

Of the 18,288 domestic flights in Q1 2023, 10,128 were delayed, representing 55 percent and 284 (1.55 percent) were cancelled. 

According to the report, Aero Contractors, Arik Air, Azman Air, Dana Air, Air Peace, Max Air, Ibom, United Nigeria Airlines, Green Africa, Value Jet and Overland Airways operated during the period under review. 

Air Peace topped the list, operating 6521 flights with 3,754 delayed (51 percent). 

Max Air recorded 1,565 flights with 1,013 delayed (60 percent) and Arik Air operated 1,619 flights with 926 (47 percent) delayed. 

United Nigeria Airlines was next with 910 delays out of the 1,243 flights it operated during the period under review. 

Ibom Air, the report said, operated 2,312 flights with 746 delayed flights and Aero Contractors recorded 1123 flights with 624 delayed.

Overland Airways operated 719 flights, delaying 605, Dana Air recorded 711 flights with 474 delays, and Green Africa airlifted passengers 1182 times, experiencing 443 delays. 

Azman Air recorded 527 flights with 385 delays and Value Jet operated 766 flights with 248 delays. 

In July 2022, Hadi Sirika, the former minister of aviation, announced that airline operators must refund the full cost of travel tickets to passengers after a two-hour delay.