Following the first aircraft landing in Nigeria in the year 1925 giving birth to the Nigerian aviation sector, the Nigerian civil aviation sector has continued in its growth and has seen its own fair share of challenges.
Table of Contents
The current structure of the Nigerian civil aviation sector is examined through the examination of the principal bodies in the aviation sector [Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)].
The airline operators in Nigeria and their fleets are considered with due consideration given to the safety records of Nigerian Airspace. The social economic impact of the aviation sector in Nigeria is also examined with speculation about future emergent trends.
Current challenges facing the aviation sector in Nigeria
- Multiple Taxes
- Passenger’s Facilitation
- Airport Congestion
- MRO Facilities
- Local Production of Jet A1 Fuel
- Aircraft Financing
20 list of airlines in Nigeria and their owners, Year Established
Local or domestic Nigerian airlines let citizens and visitors fly to Lagos, Kano, Owerri, Kaduna, Enugu, Calabar, Abuja and other major cities within the country. International flights often belong to international corporations. Still, there are companies that offer both domestic and international flights.
Here’s a list of 20 major airlines operating in Nigeria:
| Airline Name | Year Established | Owner/Management |
|---|---|---|
| Arik Air | 2002 | Private ownership |
| Air Peace | 2013 | Allen Ifechukwu Onyema |
| Dana Air | 2008 | Jacky Hathiramani |
| Overland Airways | 2002 | Captain Edward Boyo |
| Azman Air | 2010 | Abdulmunaf Yunusa Sarina |
| Max Air | 2008 | Bashir Mangal |
| Med-View Airline | 2007 | Private ownership |
| First Nation Airways | 2011 | Private ownership |
| Ibom Air | 2019 | Akwa Ibom State Government |
| Kabo Air | 1980 | Alhaji Kashim Shettima |
| Allied Air | 1998 | Private ownership |
| Green Africa Airways | 2021 | Babawande Afolabi |
| Azikel Air | 2010 | Azibapu Eruani |
| Dornier Aviation Nigeria | 2010 | Private ownership |
| Aero Contractors | 1959 | Private ownership |
| Hak Air | 2009 | Private ownership |
| JedAir | 2007 | Private ownership |
| Skyway Aviation Handling | 2009 | Nigerian Aviation Handling Co. |
| Chanchangi Airlines | 1994 | Private ownership |
| EAS Airlines | 1986 | Private ownership |
International Airlines in Nigeria
- Air Peace – Owned by Allen Ifechukwu Onyema
- Aero Contractors – owned by AMCON and the Ibru family.
- Aeroflot – Russian – 51 per cent of shares are owned by the Russian Government.
- Arik Air – owned by AMCON.
- Air France – 81.4 per cent of shares are owned by private shareholders and 15.9 per cent is owned by the government of France.
- Alitalia – 51 per cent of shares are owned by Alitalia-CAI and 49 per cent is owned by Etihad Airways (based in Abu Dhabi).
- Air India – owned by the government of India.
- British Airways – owned by International Airlines Group.
- China Southern Airlines – 58.2 per cent of shares are state-owned by the Chinese government.
- Delta Airlines – a private company based in the USA.
- Emirates – owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai.
- Egypt Air – owned by the government of Egypt.
- Ethiopian Airlines – owned by the government of Ethiopia.
- Ghana Airways – 60 per cent of shares are owned by the government and the rest belongs to BOAC.
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines – is a part of the Air France Group since 2004.
- Kenya Airways – 48.9 per cent of shares are owned by the government of Kenya, 38.1 per cent is owned by KQ Lenders Company, and 7.8 per cent stake is owned by KLM.
- Lufthansa German Airlines – owned by public investors from Germany, the USA, Luxembourg, the UK, and Ireland.
- Middle East Airlines – 99.5 perfect of the shares are owned by Banque du Liban (Lebanon’s central bank).
- Qatar Airways – owned by the Qatari government.
- Saudi Air – owned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- VirginAtlantic – owned by English businessman Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson.
- South African Airlines – owned by the government of South Africa.
- Turkish Airlines – the Turkish government owns 49.12 per cent of shares and 50.88 per cent is publicly traded.
