The shortage of aircraft in Nigeria’s domestic airline market has deepened, causing widespread disruptions and leaving many passengers stranded. On Tuesday, travelers across the country faced difficulties securing flights, especially on busy routes like Lagos-Abuja and Abuja-Lagos.
As of 4 p.m., no seats were available on major airlines for these routes, and several flights were either fully booked or canceled. Max Air and Air Peace, for example, had flights scheduled but later confirmed that some did not operate.
An airline operator cited severe capacity constraints as the root cause, with an increased number of travelers overwhelming the limited resources. Another official, speaking anonymously, noted that airlines have been reducing operations to avoid further complications.
Aviation analyst Olumide Ohunayo added that the crisis has been exacerbated by new consumer protection software that has improved transparency, revealing that many flights listed as fully booked were either canceled or never intended to operate.
Ohunayo warned that airfares are likely to increase as the holiday season approaches due to ongoing capacity issues. He urged the civil aviation authority to introduce new licensing opportunities for smaller operators to boost competition and alleviate the crisis.
News Editor