Nigeria’s aviation regulator counted delays on nearly six in 10 domestic flights in August, then ordered United Nigeria Airlines to improve service and keep route expansion within fleet capacity.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) reported 4,765 delays among 7,961 domestic operations by 15 carriers, a rate of 59.9%. It also counted 36 cancellations. Of the delays, 2,801 lasted from 16 minutes to an hour, 1,322 lasted one to two hours, 407 lasted two to three hours and 235 lasted at least three hours.
United Nigeria Airlines had 943 delays among 1,231 operations, or 76.6%, in the NCAA summary. The regulator listed 1,330 delays among 1,864 Air Peace flights, a rate of 71.4%. Air Peace disputed its flight count, saying it operated 2,564 flights in August. Premium Times reported that the airline also said 391 delays were attributable to internal factors. The NCAA summary does not assign causes to individual delays.
BusinessDay estimated that aircraft added by four airlines in 2026 had a combined value of $274 million, using assumed market values rather than disclosed transaction prices. Its estimate included four Embraer E190s for Air Peace; ch-aviation fleet listings show three. The estimate is not a confirmed total of airline spending.
The fleet additions were announced by the airlines. Air Peace announced a Boeing 737-800 delivery in May, United Nigeria Airlines announced the arrival of two 737-800NGs in June, ValueJet announced the first of three 737NG aircraft, and Ibom Air announced its third Airbus A220-300 delivery in August. The announcements did not disclose prices, and the NCAA’s monthly totals do not show whether the additions changed punctuality.
The NCAA said Sept. 10 that it had ordered United Nigeria Airlines at a Sept. 9 meeting to improve operations, follow passenger-rights rules and stop adding routes beyond its fleet capacity. The regulator cited recent cases in which passengers lacked timely information or support during disruptions.
Former Nigerian College of Aviation Technology Rector Samuel Caulcrick told BusinessDay that tightly packed schedules leave airlines little room to recover when flights are disrupted. He described a trade-off: aircraft earn revenue while flying, while schedule padding and standby planes can provide buffers. BusinessDay’s interviewees also cited airport congestion, maintenance, bird strikes, weather and limits on night operations as possible factors; the NCAA’s August figures do not identify the causes of delays.
