โฆOnly 3 Of 32 Existing Airports Have Up To 7 Airlines
โฆState Should Focus On Poverty Eradication โ Yusuf
Amid the scramble by some state governors to build new airports, the harsh reality is that these projects will be funded by already burdened taxpayers, with governors likely turning to loans.
These new airports may just become additions to the growing list of โghost airportsโ in the country, according to Managing Director of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprises (CPPE), Mudu Yusuf
There are already 32 local and international airports begging for passengers.
An investigation by NewsNGR revealed that 29 of the airports are on life support. Some of the airlines donโt even have a scheduled flight while others have between one to four airlines operating scheduled flights.
Data by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) showed that between January and July 2022, 9,473,813 people opted for domestic air travel. In 2023, only 8,176,722 travelled by air, indicating a 13 per cent drop.
The case is even worse because the cost of air tickets has risen by more than 100 per cent in the last year.
An investigation by NewsNGR had shown that a one-way ticket for an economy seat costs as much as N285,000 to some destinations.
Already, the number of aircraft plying domestic routes in Nigeria has decreased. Around 70 planes are scattered across airports in Nigeria seeking maintenance. Some of the aircraft have been grounded by the NCAA.
โThe number of active aircraft parked in Nigeriaโs leading local airport at 9 p.m. has dropped by more than 30 per cent from January 2023 numbers.
โInternational traffic in Nigeriaโs main airport โ MMA Lagos โ is off by more than 50 per cent compared to January 2023 numbers,โ the Lead Faculty of Tekedia Institute, and Chairman of Tekedia Capital, Professor Ndubuisi Ekekwe, raised alarm in a recent publication.
No Airline Has Scheduled Flights To All Existing Airport
The shortage of aircraft has forced local airlines to streamline their operations.
An investigation by NewsNGR showed that no airline has scheduled flights to all of the existing airports. Air Peace is the only airline with scheduled flights to 20 of the airports.
Some airlines run scheduled flights to three airports.
Air Peace has the highest number of aircraft with scheduled flights to Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, Enugu, Ibadan, Owerri, Warri, Asaba, Anambra, Gombe, Ilorin, Maiduguri, Uyo, Yola, Kaduna, Akure, Benin city and Calabar.
Ibom Air has a scheduled flight to only Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Calabar and Uyo. Also, Max Air has scheduled flights to only Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Owerri, Maiduguri, Yola, Sokoto, Birnin Kebbi, Bauchi and Katsina.
United Nigeria has scheduled flights to Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano, Benin, Owerri, Anambra, Asaba, Sokoto and Yenegua while Arikโs scheduled flights only cover Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Warri, Asaba and Jos.
Aero Contractors operates flights to Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, Calabar, Owerri, Benin, Asaba, Sokoto and Yola. For Green Africa Airways, only Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Benin, Akure, Ilorin, Enugu and Ibadan are part of its destinations.
Overland Airways operates scheduled flights in Abuja, Lagos, Akure, Dutse, Gombe, Ibadan, Ilorin and Jalingo while IRS covers Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Maiduguri, Yola, Kaduna and Gombe.
Azman Air operates scheduled flights to Lagos, Abuja and Kano.
Over Half of 32 Airports Are Like Ghost Towns
According to findings, 32 Nigerian States have airports, of which only 14 have at least three major airlines with domestic scheduled flights.
The Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja are the most viable airports in the country having scheduled flights for all airlines in the country.
Another viable airport is the Port Harcourt International Airport which has scheduled flights from at least seven local airlines.
Some of the airports have scheduled flights from about four airlines. The Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano; Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu; Asaba International Airport, Delta; Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri, Imo State; Yola Airport, Adamawa State and Benin Airport are some of the airlines that are also struggling to get their share of air traffic.
The likes of Asaba International Airport, Delta State; Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar, Cross River State; Maiduguri International Airport, Borno State; Sadiq Abubakar III International Airport, Sokoto; Ilorin International Airport, Kwara and Akure Airport, Ondo State have just three airlines with scheduled flights.
An investigation showed that Kaduna International Airport; Anambra International Cargo Airport; Gombe Lawanti International Airport (Sani Abacha); Akwa Ibom Airport (Victor Attah) and Ibadan Airport, Oyo State have only two airlines that run scheduled flights.
Fimdings showed that some airports just have one airline operating a scheduled flight.
The likes of Warri Airport, Delta State; Dutse International Airport, Jigawa State; Jalingo Airport (Danbaba Danfulani Suntai Airport), Taraba State; Yakubu Gowon Airport, Jos; Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Airport, Bauchi; Katsina Airport; the Sir Ahmadu Bello Intโl Airport, Kebbi State and Bayelsa International Airport manage just one airline scheduled flights.
These airports often suffer passenger draught mostly relying on chartered flights.
Meanwhile, some airports do not have any of the major airlines currently running a scheduled flight.
The airports are Damaturu Cargo Airport, Yobe State; Ebonyi State International Airport; Lafia Cargo Airport, Nassarawa State; Makurdi Airport, Benue State and Minna Airport, Niger State.
In 2020 the federal government approved the building of airports in Anambra, Benue, Ekiti, Nasarawa and Ebonyi States.
It took control of the airports in Kebbi, Osubi, Dutse, and Gombe. Data revealed that out of the 26 airports managed by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), only six see more than 5,000 aircraft movements annually.
Poor States Struggle To Build New Airports Amidst Poverty
Zamfara is one of the states with the highest number of poor people with over 4.17 million people or 42 per cent of the population in multidimensional poverty.
The state governor, Dauda Lawal on June 20, 2024 flagged off the construction of Gusau International Airport. The airport project will include the construction of a 3.4-kilometer primary runway suitable for large commercial aircraft, installation of runway lighting, and navigational aids.
It will cost the state N62.8bn to execute the project.
Kogi State with 39.0 unemployment rate and 2.88 million people living in multi-dimensional poverty, according to a 2022 multidimensional poverty index report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) is another case.
But the state government is channeling its energy to build an airport when existing airports are suffering traffic draught.
In a fresh development, the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development approved the bid by the Kogi State Government to build an international airport in the Zariagi community.
Kogi governor, Usman Ododo won his gubernatorial bid on the grounds of poverty eradication and reviving existing infrastructure like the moribund Ajaokuta Steel Complex which has the capacity to change the fate of the people.
Abia State Government is another government that is pushing for an airport. The state announced in a statement dated May 23, 2024, that the Federal Government had approved the development of an airstrip for Abia State.
The government said it was ready to collaborate with the federal government to upscale the airstrip into a full-fledged airport.
This is also a state that the NBS MPI of 2022 revealed had an unemployment of 50.1 per cent while 1.12 million people lived in poverty.
States Should Assess Poverty Levels Before Embarking On Airport Projects- Experts
The Managing Director of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprises (CPPE), Mudu Yusuf, told NewsNGR that many of the airports built by state governments โare like ghost towns.โ
He said there is no passenger traffic to support flights to those locations. According to him, most of the airports rely on private charters by โelitesโ adding โAt best, that is the purpose some of the airports will serve.โ
Yusuf said some of the airports designated as cargo airports have not moved โa single cargo in those airports and a huge sum of money have been spent to support themโ.
He said states need to weigh their actions and understand what they should prioritise.
He said, โI believe that states need to get their priorities right. They need to do proper assessments of their citizens so that they can channel resources to areas where they can maximise their welfare.
โThe opportunity cost of investments in many of these airports is very high. Many citizens in these states are struggling with basic amenities like roads, and water supply, many of their institutions do not have educational infrastructures and even security. These are bigger priorities for many of the states.
โIn some sense, investment in airports is in a sense elitist because what percentage of the citizens will benefit directly from the investments in airports especially now given what the cost of flight is?โ
Yusuf said some of the states may not be able to maintain the airports due to the cost implication.
According to him, there is a limit to which FAAN can support airport facilities, adding โEven FAAN is complaining that it is overstretched and it is subsidising many of the airports.โ
He advised state governors to suspend airport projects and focus on activities that would position their states to have the right traffic to sustainย anย airport.