Airlines blame airport congestion, weather for flight delays

Nigeria's airline operators have attributed numerous flight delays and cancellations to a myriad of factors, primarily airport congestion, inadequate infrastructure, and adverse weather conditions. These were the primary concerns discussed during the Aviation Day of the Akwaaba African Travel Market in Lagos. The event, themed around the challenges faced by passengers and airlines, gathered industry stakeholders to address the issue.

According to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), over 60% of domestic flights in August 2026 were delayed or cancelled, with 4,765 out of 7,961 flights experiencing delays. Of these, 2,801 flights were delayed between 16 minutes and one hour, while 1,322 faced delays of one to two hours. Additionally, 407 flights were delayed between two and three hours, and 235 saw delays of three hours or more.

The Chief Commercial Officer of United Nigeria Airlines, Adedayo Olawuyi, highlighted that airlines face a mix of controllable and uncontrollable challenges. He likened the problem to living in a large apartment with limited parking, where aircraft find themselves unable to move due to congestion on the ramp. Olawuyi also pointed out that technical issues with aircraft and unfavorable weather conditions can further complicate matters.

He noted that weather delays are particularly prevalent at airports with limited night operations due to a lack of necessary infrastructure.

Olawuyi criticized the NCAA for presenting its data without distinguishing between delays caused by controllable and uncontrollable factors. He argued that a high delay figure only indicates airline issues if uncontrollable factors have been excluded. He urged stakeholders to view flight delays as an industry-wide problem, rather than solely blaming airlines.

Similarly, Trevor Henry of ValueJet echoed Olawuyi's sentiments, citing additional factors such as presidential movements, security checks, and congestion at boarding gates as contributors to delays.