Airline operators have challenged the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority’s (NCAA) August flight disruption figures saying that the airport congestion infrastructure gaps and adverse weather contributed to a significant share of delays and cancellations during the month.
The operators spoke at the Aviation Day of the 23rd Akwaaba African Travel Market in Lagos, a day after the NCAA’s August data showed that 4,765 of 7,961 domestic flights were delayed. The figure represented 59.9 percent of flights operated during the month.
Adedayo Olawuyi the chief commercial officer of United Nigeria Airlines said that the flight disruptions should be assessed by separating delays within an airline’s control from those caused by conditions at airports and other external factors.
He pointed to congestion at airports as one of the problems affecting flight schedules particularly when several airlines operate within limited airport facilities at the same time.
Olawuyi also cited inadequate infrastructure and weather conditions as factors that can disrupt flight operations. He said such conditions could affect an airline’s ability to maintain its published schedule even when the airline itself is ready to operate.
The comments came after the NCAA reported that Air Peace recorded 1,330 delayed flights from 1,864 operations in August, while United Nigeria recorded 943 delays from 1,231 flights. United Nigeria had the highest delay rate at 76.6 percent, while Air Peace recorded a 71.4 percent delay rate.
The industry discussion also turned to airport capacity. Stakeholders said congestion during peak operating periods can create delays that spread from one flight to another as aircraft passengers and airport facilities operate under tighter time constraints.
Olawuyi said the figures should therefore be read alongside the operating conditions at airports rather than treating every delay as an airline-controlled disruption.
The debate puts the focus on both sides of the delay problem as the NCAA continues to demand better schedule planning and compliance from airlines while operators point to airport infrastructure congestion and weather as factors affecting punctuality.
