Statistics obtained from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) revealed that the cargo sales charge for the period was higher than that of the 2016 earning by N115, 730,459.30.
The statistics indicated that Nigeria earned N285, 169,979.79 from cargo sales in 2016. Within the year under review, it was also gathered that the regulatory agency recertified 86 heliports and helipads across the country, while it received 29 Air Operators’ Certificate (AOC) from various intending airline operators.
The statistics further revealed that in the past one year, NCAA had issued three AOCs to commence flight operations in the country, but none is yet to do so. However, investigations by SaharaReporters revealed that one of such operators with new AOC is Max Air, which intends to start flight operations before the end of this year with Lagos-Abuja-Lagos flight.
Besides, within the 2017 period, 11 airlines renewed their AOCs, while others are at various stages of AOV processing. Besides, 25 foreign airlines operate a total of 325 frequencies weekly in and out of Nigeria with African World Airline (AWA) from Ghana operating 49 frequencies in and out of the country weekly. The 325 weekly frequencies, however, translates into 9,810 frequencies per month or a grand total of 117,720 frequencies per annum.
The breakdown of the foreign airlines’ frequencies revealed that nine of them operate into one entry point of Lagos, 16 operate between two to four entry and exit points and Ethiopia Airline has the highest entry points of five weekly. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, both United Kingdom airliners, operate in between them, 21 frequencies weekly into Nigeria, according to the statistics from NCAA.
Also, NCAA-licensed cabin crew jumped from 1,888 in 2016 to 1,946 in 2017, while Air Traffic Controllers with 313 in 2016 grew to 329 in 2017. Of the flight engineers in 2017, 14 were certified; Licensed Air Traffic Safety Electronics Personnel, 254 in 2016, climbed to 319 in 2017; Licensed Aeronautical Station Operators, 100 in 2016, moved by a digit to 101 in 2017; Licensed Pilots moved from 2,226 in 2016 to 2,356 in 2017; Aircraft Maintenance Engineers dropped from 1,532 in 2016 to 1,484 in 2017, while the number of Expatriate Pilots also dropped from 631 to 609.
Table of foreign airlines flying into Nigeria
Africa World Airline 49
Air Cote D’Ivoire 10
Air France (pax&cargo) 15
Asky. 23
British Airways 14
Cronos 41 (proposed)
Delta Air Lines 7
Emirates 11
Etihad 5
Egypt Air (pax&cargo) 16
Ethiopia Airline 31
Fly Mid Africa 4
Kenya Airways 14
KLM Royal Dutch 7
Lufthansa 11
Meridians Fly Spa 2
Middle East Airline (MEA) 3
Qatar 9
Rwand Air 7
Royal Air Maroc 7
Saudi Arabian Airlines 13
South African Airways 7
Sudan Airways 7
Turkish Airlines 7
Virgin Atlantic 7
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