The Nigerian aviation market has been dominated by foreign airlines for years, with carriers like Emirates, Qatar Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, and Asky Airlines holding the majority of flights. According to United Nigeria Airlines' Chief Commercial Officer, Adedayo Olawuyi, the dominance of foreign carriers is due to the weakness of domestic airlines.

Olawuyi made this statement during a courtesy visit to the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents, LAAC, in Lagos recently. He said that airlines like Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines have extensive networks that enable passengers from Nigeria to connect to multiple destinations. However, Nigerian carriers lack this strength, and as a result, are unable to compete effectively.

'The challenge we have in Nigerian aviation space today, where we are dominated by foreign carriers, is because of a lack of strength of the domestic carriers,' Olawuyi said. 'What do I mean? There are the likes of Emirates, and a lot of people don’t go to Dubai, but they connect to other destinations. For Qatar, how many people go to Doha? Ethiopia has 35 to 40 flights a week into the country. For Asky, who goes to Lome?'

Olawuyi argued that Nigerian carriers need to expand regional operations and offer direct services to destinations across West Africa to be able to compete. He also pointed out that operating regional routes remains challenging for local airlines, citing the high cost of deploying large aircraft on routes with low passenger traffic.

'Now, the challenge you have seen with carriers is when you bring in a Boeing 737, a 150 or 160-seater aircraft, and deploy it on a route that has fewer than 40 passengers per day in each direction, it becomes unsustainable,' Olawuyi said. 'That is why you see that a lot of the carriers that have succeeded in West Africa have had to undertake a lot of optimisation. One of the things we are trying to do is to right-size the market.'

Olawuyi also highlighted the need for infrastructure development to support the growth of the aviation industry in Nigeria. He noted that the current infrastructure is inadequate, leading to lengthy connections and delays for passengers.

'We are very happy with the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo. Today, you arrive from domestic airport, going to international, it can take you two hours to connect, depending on the traffic. If an airline brings in a passenger from Douala, for example, connecting to Johannesburg, they will tell him he needs to get a visa to come into the country. We are trying to address this with advocacy.'

Olawuyi's statement has shed light on the challenges facing the Nigerian aviation industry and the need for domestic carriers to strengthen their operations to compete with foreign airlines.

### Key Facts

  • Emirates has extensive networks that enable passengers from Nigeria to connect to multiple destinations
  • Ethiopian Airlines has 35-40 flights a week into Nigeria
  • Asky Airlines operates flights from Lome to destinations across West Africa
  • Operating regional routes remains challenging for local airlines due to high costs
  • Infrastructure development is needed to support the growth of the aviation industry in Nigeria
  • Local carriers need to expand regional operations and offer direct services to compete with foreign airlines