Aviation: Why Airlines collapse and the Crisis in Nigeria

By Ikechi Uko
“We met 26 Airlines and only 5 are left now” This was the statement made by the MD of one the 3 strong Airlines in Nigeria Muneer Bankole of Medview Airlines in an interview with www.atqnews in July.

30 days after that statement Aero the oldest Airline in Nigeria closed shop and soon after FirstNation joined the Aviaexit. The suspension of flight by the biggest Airline in West Africa Arik on midnight of 13th September due to the expiration of insurance was the last straw.
The bottom has finally fallen out of the Aviation business in Nigeria. The mighty Arik with about 26 Airplanes is the livewire of movement in Nigeria and West Africa.

It wasn’t a sudden collapse. Nigeria has a cyclical boom and bust aviation history. A sudden burst and blossoming of Airlines and the gradual demise of most and the eventual boom again. There have been legendary airlines that ruled the Airspace and eventually disappeared. Outside Nigeria Airways the defunct National carrier Okada Air was the most popular. As a Pioneer Private Airline it gave its name to the motorbike Taxis in Nigeria famously called “Okada”. At a point it had 53 Aircraft on its register mostly BAC-111.

With the banning of the BACs in 2001 the Airline disappeared. After Okada was reign of ADC Airlines set up by Pilots from Nigeria Airways. ADC used the B727 classic and the crash in 2006 of another aircraft saw the death of the Airline.

The rash of Air crashes in 2006 led to the new powers and the inspirational times of Harold Demuren as the Director General of the now Autonomous NCAA the regulatory agency.
Demuren is credited with the clean up of the Nigeria Airspace. His tenure saw to the exit of West Africa’s only Airline Bellview Airlines and Sosoliso after crashes that year.

New Airlines appeared to fill up the space among them Virgin Nigeria and Arik and these were world class Airlines by Nigerian standards.
Eventually Chanchangi and Dana provided the competition to these big players.
Chanchangi and Virgin Nigeria have since disappeared and DANA has been struggling after its 2012 crash.
Air Peace, Medview and Overland are the only robust Airlines in Nigeria today.

Definitely something went wrong in the past 12 months. The bad economic decisions by Govt and the crazy Foreign exchange market saw to the collapse of the sector creating Aviation Fuel scarcity and shrinking of the market with many Aircraft on Ground, AOG.

Experts are lining up to discuss this issue at the 12th Akwaaba Aviation day Conference on the 31st of October at Eko Hotel.

With the topic Aviation in Africa and Why Airlines Fail, the 2nd Aviation day at Akwaaba will draw on the experience of major players in Nigerian Aviation.

The most Influential Players in Aviation between 1999 and 2010 will be sharing their experience.

Harold Demuren former DG of NCAA, Richard Aisebeogun Former MD of Federal Airport Authority FAAN and the former COO of Overland Airways and ADC airlines will be joined by Capt Dapo Olumide former MD of Virgin Nigeria, Edmund Yomi Jones former MD of Nigeria Airways, Capt Mike Omokore a search and Rescue expert and Kenyan Female Aviator Dorcas Aketch formerly of Kenya Airways, Virgin Nigeria and lately Rwandair will be pointing the way out of the Miasma.

Akwaaba African Travel Market is a 3day Travel expo in its 12 year now. It will be holding from the 30th to the 1st of November at Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos.

30 speakers have been lined up to discuss Aviation and Tourism in Africa.

Already Exhibitors from Kenya, Bahrain, Dubai, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Benin Republic are booked for the 3 day expo.