Nigerian airlines operate just 5.5–6 hours daily, compared with 10 hours for carriers overseas, exposing a massive productivity gap, George Uriesi, Acting CEO of Ibom Air, told participants at the FAAN National Aviation Conference (FNAC). He emphasized the financial toll of underused aircraft on airline operations.
“This means our aeroplanes are flying roughly half as much as counterparts in Europe and other regions,” Uriesi said. “By the end of the year, we are conducting 1,080 fewer flights per aircraft than the global average. That’s 720 fewer flights translating into revenue we cannot recover.”
Using a conservative estimate of 5 million naira per flight, Uriesi calculated that each underused aircraft costs the airline 3.6 billion naira in lost annual revenue. With Ibom Air’s fleet of nine Airbus A220s, cumulative losses exceed 32 billion naira per year.
“This revenue could be reinvested in operations, infrastructure, and growth, yet remains untapped due to systemic inefficiencies,” he added.
Reasons for Underused Aircraft
Infrastructure limitations are a major factor in underused aircraft. Uriesi noted that many Nigerian airports still do not support full aircraft utilization. “We operate within a very difficult environment,” he said. “In Abuja, ATC defaults to procedural approach management instead of radar. Flights often enter prolonged holding patterns, consuming more fuel and time.”
“Abuja is a very, very, very busy airspace in Nigeria,” he continued. “They keep the aeroplanes in the air far longer than necessary. There’s constant communication with so many different aircraft during flights.”
“Our pilots are raising safety concerns every minute,” he added. “There are curiosity waves, which pose a real safety issue. Flights to Abuja take much longer, and departing aircraft often sit for 20 minutes holding before using the runway.”
“If you calculate the fuel impact on airlines, it’s huge,” Uriesi emphasized. “I’m appealing to NAMA. I’ve raised this through other channels, but I’m appealing again: please help the airlines. Use the radar now.”
Fleet size also affects utilization. Uriesi warned that small airlines operating just three to six aircraft cannot achieve sustainable profitability. “Being small is one of the most dangerous positions for an airline. You are always on the verge of falling out. To be profitable, you must grow quickly to 10, 11, 12, 15, 20 aircraft and beyond,” he said. Larger fleets allow better utilization, risk absorption, and negotiating power with financiers and service providers.
Despite these operational challenges, Ibom Air has maintained an 88 percent compounded average growth rate in revenue since 2019. However, much of this success is dampened by underused aircraft. Uriesi emphasized that improving daily flight hours, even by two or three hours per aircraft, could unlock billions of naira in additional annual revenue.
“Profitability in Nigeria isn’t just revenue minus costs,” he said. “It’s about navigating a complex obstacle course of infrastructure bottlenecks, regulatory fees, and operational inefficiencies. If we could achieve full aircraft utilization, Nigerian airlines would be far more competitive internationally and financially sustainable.”
Concluding, Uriesi urged government intervention to reduce overflight charges, regional fees, and other financial burdens limiting aircraft productivity. He also called on airlines to adopt strategies that maximize daily aircraft usage and expand fleet sizes. “The industry has enormous potential. With better utilization and operational support, we could transform billions of naira in lost revenue into growth and profitability.”
