IbomAir has once again emerged the Best Airline in Nigeria, an award it also won last year within its first year of operations.
This is based on the ranking of Nigerian Airlines using the following parameters: Average Age of Aircraft, Schedule Integrity, Spread of Services, Customer Care, Inflight Services, and total Number of Flights done in 2021.
This year’s Travellers Award chose to highlight the expectations of travellers in Nigeria. The organisers listened to the complaints and yearnings of travellers by incorporating these parameters in the selection of the 2022 Winners.
Delays and cancellations are big issues on the domestic scene, customer care and schedule integrity ranked high on most social media feedback reports.
Independent research done by Publishers of Atqnews.com using statistics released by Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and other sources, Nigerian Airlines were ranked from 1 to 10 on all parameters and their scores totaled up
The airlines with lowest scores were ranked as leaders. The awards will be presented on March 11th 2022 at Abuja Jabamah.
Travellers Award was instituted in 1996 by the Publishers of Travellers Magazine and Atqnews.com with the theme: “Promoting Excellence in Travels”.
About 65 to 70 aircraft by 10 airlines carried over 12 Million passengers to over 20 active airports in Nigeria.
Air Peace wins the Award of the Best Nigerian International Airline of the year.
These are the winners of the other categories.
Airline of the Year
1. IbomAir came out tops with the lowest score of 12 having topped the chart in four of the parameters. It only did badly in the spread as it flies to only 6 destinations, so it ranked 8 out of the 10 airlines that were profiled. It also had the second highest number of flights done despite having only 7 aircraft and was flying to only 6 destinations. It had done more flights than airlines that had more planes and flew to more destinations. This was a very remarkable operation similar to popular low cost carrier models optimizing the use of aircraft.
2. Air Peace came in second with a score of 17. It came 1st in National Spread and had more flights than any other airline in Nigeria. It is the Big International player in the market. Despite its huge size it still scored very high in Average Age and Customer Care. It did well on all parameters which shows its potential as an emerging global player. It came 4th in Average fleet age, 4th in on time performance, 3rd in Inflight Services and 5th in Customer Care.
3. Green Africa came 3rd overall with a score of 18. This is the surprise in the pack. One of the new players in the park with a lot of false starts that it was written off as just another portfolio airline. It ranked 2nd in Average Age of Fleet. Also 2nd in Schedule Integrity, 3rd in Customer Care, 5th in Inflight Services and 6th in Spread of Services across Nigeria which is surprising for an airline with just few planes. A very good score for a new airline.
4. Arik Airlines came in 4th with a Score of 24. It came 3rd in Average Age of Fleet, 2nd in Spread across the Nation, 6th in Schedule Integrity 6th in Inflight Services and 7th in Customer Care.
5. Dana Air is the 5th ranked airline in Nigeria with a score of 25. It came 2nd in Customer Care, 2nd in Inflight Services, 5th in Schedule Integrity, 8th in Average age of Fleet and 8th in National Spread.
6. Aero Contractors is ranked 6th with 27 points. It came 3rd in Schedule Integrity, 3rd in National Spread, 4th in Customer Care, 8th in inflight Services and 9th in Average Fleet age.
7. Azman Air is ranked 7th with a score of 28. It ranked 4th in National Spread 4th in inflight Services, 6th in Customer Care, 6th in Average age of Fleet and 8th in Schedule Integrity.
8. United Nigeria and MaxAir are tied at 8th with a score of 39.
United Nigeria is ranked 5th in Average age of Fleet, 7th in National Spread, 9th in Customer Care 9th in Inflight Services and 9th in Schedule Integrity.
9. Max Air scored 7th on Average fleet Age, 7th in Schedule Integrity, 7th in Inflight Services, 10th in National Spread and 8th in Customer Care.
10. Overland is the 10th with a score of 45. It came 5th in National Spread, 10th in Average age of Fleet, 10th in Schedule Integrity, 10th in inflight Services and 10th in Customer Care.
Number of Flights Operated in 2021 based on Data from NCAA
1. Air Peace 17861
2. IbomAir 9551
3. Dana 9360
4. Arik 9024
5. Max Air 8607
6. Aero 6973
7. United Nigeria 6408
8. Azman Airline 3921
9. Overland 2917
10. Green Africa 1092.
Delays by Nigerian Airlines in 2021.
The on time profile of Nigerian Airlines ranked according to percentages sourced from NCAA.
Airline:
1. IbomAir had 27% of its 9551 flights delayed totalling 2582 delayed flights.
2. Green Africa had 49% of its 1092 flights delayed totalling 542 delayed flights.
3. Aero had 54% of its 6973 delayed which is 3766.
4. Air Peace delayed 55% of its 17861 flights totalling 9900 flights.
5. Dana had 55% delayed flights out of 9360 flights 5227 were delayed.
6. Arik delayed 57% of its 9024 flights which is 5171 flights.
7. Max had 60% of its 8607 flights delayed which is 5212 flights.
8. Azman had 63% of its 3921 delayed totalling 2494 flights.
9. United Nigeria had 63% of its 6408 flights delayed totalling 4063 flights.
10. Overland Airways had 83% of its 2917 flights delayed totalling 2441 flights.
Ranking of Nigerian airlines based on Destinations Flown within Nigeria sourced from their websites.
1. Air Peace 19
2. Arik 14
3. Aero 13
4. Azman 11
5. Overland 10
6. Green Africa 8
7. United Nigeria 7
8. IbomAir 6
8. Dana 6
10. Max Air 5
Airlines with the Youngest Fleet in Nigeria
IbomAir has a fleet size of 7 aircraft with an average age of 8 years made up of 5 CRJ and 2 Airbus A220.
The Second Youngest fleet in Nigeria is Green Africa one of the 2 new Airlines in Nigeria.
Green Africa has 3 ATR planes with the average age of 9 years.
ArikAir once the biggest airline in West Africa launched its operation with brand new Boeing B737 Next Generation aircraft but recently after it was taken into administration by AMCON, its fleet got depleted to 18 with 14 active aircraft made up of one A319, 4 B737, 4 CRJ and 4 Dash 8 with an average age of 11 Years.
Air peace is the only airline that has brand new planes in Nigeria. They actually have 5 of them, the E2 from Embraer. It has 30 aircraft as at 21st of January 2022 of average of 18 years made of 4 Airbus A320, 10 Boeing B737, 2 Boeing B777, 8 Embraer Regional Jet E145 and 5 brand new E195 E2 and 1 Dornier Do-328. But only about 20 planes are currently in use.
United Nigeria is one of the new startup airlines in Nigeria. It has 5 aircraft with an average age of 19 years made up one Airbus A320 and 4 Embraer E145 jets.
Azman has 7 aircraft of average age of 22 years. 2 of the aircraft are parked. The fleet is made up of 1 Airbus A340 and 6 Boeing B737.
Max air has 5 active aircraft of average age of 22 years
3 B737 and 2 Embraer 145.
Dana has 7 aircraft made up of 2 Boeing B737 and 4 MD83 with 2 of them parked and one LearJet 45 at an average age of 25 years.
Aero Contractors the oldest airline in Nigeria has 8 Aircraft of which 3 are parked. They have an Airbus A320, 6 Boeing B737 and one Dash 8 with an average age of 27 years.
The most consistent airline that has survived 10 Years with no problems in Nigeria is Overland.
Overland has 7 aircraft, 6 ATR of which one is parked and one E145 with an average age of 28 years.
The Boeing B737 is still the most dominant aircraft in Nigeria but last year the Airbus A320 can boast of being the bride of Nigerian airlines as Air Peace, Green Africa, Arik and Aero got hold of the Equipment
The E145 came close to taking over the airspace with Air Peace, Green Africa and Overland getting some copies.
The ATR were the main plane for Overland until the arrival of Green Africa. They have taken over from the Dash 8 which were the most popular turbo props in Nigeria.
The CRJ was used by Arik before the arrival of IbomAir in 2019.
The CRJ carried IbomAir to its position of prominence in Nigeria. With the new order for more A220 its role might be reduced on the Nigerian airspace.
Meanwhile in Africa the oldest commercial airliner still flying is from ComAir in South Africa.
Comair Boeing 737-400, the ZS-OAO is Africa’s oldest passenger aircraft.
The aircraft is 32.8 years old. This is according to AeroTimes an International Aviation Journal.
