Arik Air airlifted 2.23m passengers in 2024, says NCAA

Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) says Arik Air airlifted 2,239,176 passengers in 2024, accounting for a 19.3 percent market share.

Arik Air has been under the receivership of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) since 2017.

The NCAA, in its latest report on international and domestic flight operations in 2024, said Arik Air operated 10,699 flights between January and December last year, making it the second most active airline in terms of passenger traffic and flight operations after Air Peace.

According to the report, the total number of air travellers in the domestic scene in 2024 was 11,549,443, with inbound passengers at 5,727,700 and outbound pegged at 5,821,743.

A breakdown showed that Arik Air recorded 1,112,358 inbound passengers and 1,126,818 outbound passengers, making it a total of 2,239,176 travellers ferried in 2024.

The figure shows that the airline captured 19.3 percent of the total passenger traffic in the period reviewed, while it had 15.1 percent of the total 70,543 flights operated by the 15 domestic airlines in 2024.

The monthly breakdown of the passenger traffic indicated that Arik Air had 37,772 inbound passengers and another 38,987 as outbound passengers in January 2024, totalling 76,759 passengers.

The NCAA said for February, the airline recorded 38,217 (inbound) and 39,209 as outbound, totalling 77,426. March saw 37,183 inbound travellers and 37,642 outbound, making it a total of 74,825; April, 31,326 as inbound and 31,971 as outbound, making a total of 63,297.

The authority said in May 2024, the airline recorded a total passenger traffic of 78,771, with inbound travellers hitting 39,006 and outbound standing at 39,765. In June, Arik had 37,710 as inbound and 38,617 as outbound, totalling 76,327.

According to the NCAA, the carrier’s total passengers in July and August were 315,190 and 297,339, respectively.

The authority said the total passengers ferried in September, October, November, and December were 288,492; 262,836; 508,026, and 119,890, respectively.

‘ARIK AIR ONLY HAD ONE OVERBOOKED FLIGHT IN 2024’

The NCAA report also indicated that Arik recorded only one overbooking or denied boarding incident in 2024, which occurred in October.

Also, a month-by-month breakdown of flights operated by Arik in 2024 showed that the airline had a total number of 380 flights in January, 419 in February, and 468 in March.

The report further the airline operated a total number of 340 flights in April; 374 in May, and 350 in June — recording a peak of 1,403 flights in July.

Flight operations fell to 1,320 in August, the NCAA said, increasing to 1,352 in September before dropping again to 1,266 in October.

While there was a major surge in flight operations to 2,442 in November, the authority said it tanked to a total of 585 flights in December 2024.

The document said the aviation company recorded a total of 190 complaints among the air travellers in 2024, with the majority being resolved.

A breakdown of complaints indicated that while there were no complaints in January, the airline had two complaints in February, and one in March.

There were four complaints in April, the report said,  two in May, one in June, three in July, seven in August, and 28 in September.

The complaints surged to 50 in October, 67 in November, but fell to 25 in December.

The NCAA said Arik did not record any missing baggage in 2024, with all 84 delayed baggage items, as indicated by the data, handed over to their owners.

INDUSTRY EXPERTS COMMEND ARIK AIR’S PERFORMANCE

Olumide Ohunayo, general secretary of the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative, described Arik Air’s 2024 performance as exceptional, transporting 2.23 million passengers, which he said reflects the airline’s resilience and strategic management under challenging conditions.

“With a 13.4 percent market share out of the 11.5 million total domestic passengers, Arik Air’s sustained dominance highlights its strong operational efficiency,” Ohunayo said.

“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.”

Also, Roland Iyayi, managing director of Top Brass Aviation Limited, praised Arik Air’s feat, stating that securing the second position in Nigeria’s domestic market ahead of Ibom Air (1.3 million passengers), Max Air (915,918), and Aero Contractors (964,900) is a “huge and massive achievement” given its receivership challenges.

“Arik Air’s performance is remarkable given its limited access to fresh capital, ageing fleet, and regulatory hurdles tied to its receivership status,” Iyayi said.

“The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) strategic support deserves recognition for its crucial role in stabilising Arik Air, ensuring its continued operations, and maintaining confidence among passengers.”

Iyayi credited AMCON’s intervention for Arik Air’s continued relevance in Nigeria’s aviation industry, preserving jobs, economic contributions, and ensuring safe services for travellers.

In January, the corporation said Arik Air and its affiliate companies had racked up debts exceeding N455 billion as of December 31, 2024.