Nigerian Airlines Record 5,399 Flights

The eight domestic airlines currently operating in Nigerian airspace recorded 5,399 flights, with 3,029 of the flights between January and March 2016 delayed and 120 cancelled.

The 5,399 flights bore a total of 714,137 passengers broken into 346, 579 inbound passengers and 367, 558 outbound passengers.

The figures were contained in a summary reports of complaints received against international and domestic airlines for the month of January, February and March 2016, as documented by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

For the period under review, a total number of 1,282 flights operated on international routes with total number of inbound passengers recorded by the 35 international carriers standing at 221,136 and 242, 711 outbound passengers.

Understandably, Arik Air recorded the highest number of local flights.

The airline operated 1, 779 flight in the month of February 2016; 866 flights delayed; 28 cancelled flights. The company had a total number 98, 010 total number of inbound passengers and 102, 103 outbound passengers.

For the month of January, a total of 1, 282 flights were operated by 35 airlines on international roiutes. The airlines are Aero, African World, Air Cote d'Ivoire, Air France, Alitalia, Altas Air, Arik, ASKY, British Airways, Camair-Co, Cronos Air, Dana, Delta Air, Egypt Air, Emirates, Ethiopian Air, Etihad, Gambia Bird, Iberia, Kenya Airways.

Others are KLM, Lufthansa, Max Air, Medview, Middle East Airlines, Qatar, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordan, Rwandair, Saudi Air, Sudan Air, South African Airways, Turkish Air, United and Virgin Atlantic Airways.

The report shows that Nigeria's flag carrier airline, Arik Air expectedly tops the chart with 205 flights, 96 delays, three cancelled flights, 27, 791 total number of inbound passengers, 33, 055 number of outbound passengers, 28 unresolved complaints and compensation.

French carrier, Air France ranks highest with the highest number of pilferage and discourtesy. A total of 104 cases involving passengers luggage pilfered were reported and documented.

The French carrier 81 flights in January, 31 delayed flights, no cancelled flights with 133 unresolved complaints and inability to compensate travellers.

The airline had a total number of 17, 294 inbound passengers, 18, 197 outbound passengers and 361 missing baggage found.

Dubai based Emirates Airlines has the highest number of inbound and outbound passengers.

The airline recorded 35, 774 inbound passengers and 36, 627 total number of outbound passengers, making the airline the highest revenue earner to Nigeria, followed by British Airways.

For the month under review, all the international airlines operated 1, 251.

They recorded 489 delays, eight cancellations, 571 missing baggage, 275 pilferage, 1, 23, 572 inbound passengers and 138, 855 outbound passengers.

On domestic route, Aero Contractors operated 840 flights in February.

The airline recorded 557 delays, 28 cancelled flights, 56, 186 total number of inbound passengers and 60, 227 outbound passengers.

For March 2016, a total number of 1, 508 flights operated on international routes while 4, 892 flights operated on domestic routes.

CAMEROON: Stranded Passengers To Burn Cameroon Airline Office

Disgruntled passengers of the Cameroon Airlines Corporation (Camair-co) Monday threatened to burn the office of the state firm in Yaoundé over frequent flight cancellations.

The passengers, most of who had spent their vacation in Cameroon, said they had paid to travel about two weeks ago and the company had been postponing their flights without explanation.

They mounted barricades on the main road to the corporation’s office and burnt tyres before the intervention of law enforcement officers.

A Cameroonian studying in France, Mr Olivier Njoya, said he was on vacation and had paid to travel back to Paris on August 25.

“I came on August 25 and was told that I am late and that my flight has been cancelled. I was charged a penalty of CFA25,000 which I paid. I was then programmed to travel on September 2 but I was later told that the flight has been cancelled….”

Mr Njoya said he risked losing an academic year and his scholarship in Paris due to the extension of his holiday, imposed by Camair-co.

“We are worried because some of us already have expired documents. Most of us will lose our jobs, education…because of the poor management of Camair-co,” said Mr Mahop Souvernir, another affected passenger.

“I was supposed to travel together with my family on August 24, but my wife and children left because I still had one or two things to do. I had to stay back. I paid a penalty of 120 Euros to Camair-co to re-schedule my flight. I respected the second date but where is the aircraft?”

“We are just stranded. There are people who have been at the airport for the past one week. They don’t even have where to take their bath,” Mr Souvernir added.

Camair-co officials did not issue any statement regarding the incident by the time of filing this report.

However, government officials came in to calm down the irate passengers.

Camair-co was created in September 2006 to replace the defunct Cameroon Airlines (Camair) which collapsed due to a managerial crisis.

The airline launched flight services in 2011, reviving hope for a more reliable national carrier.

Four years after, that dream seem to be an illusion, Cameroonians say.

‘’Its regrettable that we cannot manage the lone airline company in this country. How can a state-owned company be so consistently inconsistent?’’ asked Mr Alain Belate, one of the disillusioned passengers.

The trouble with the national airline has made most Cameroonians prefer using the more reliable foreign airlines like Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines.