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Nigeria: Flight disruptions, over 40 domestic aircraft grounded abroad
While over 30 airplanes are stranded overseas, a little above 10 aircraft are grounded in Nigeria due to lack of forex to acquire some major spare parts from abroad.
Aside from the grounded planes, some operators are unable to acquire new aircraft engines to replace old ones that have completed their cycles due to dollar scarcity.
Airline officials said the development might worsen the current flight disruptions being experienced by passengers occasioned by shortage of airplanes.
According to findings by our correspondents, while Air Peace, the largest Nigerian carrier, has about 15 planes stranded abroad, Dana Air, Max Air, Azman Air, Arik Air, and other domestic carriers have over 25 airplanes currently grounded abroad and locally due to lack of forex.
Operators are seeking forex to pay foreign aircraft maintenance facilities and acquire spare parts from abroad for the aircraft undergoing maintenance locally.
The Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, who said last week that the carrier spent over N78bn on aircraft maintenance last year, disclosed the airline currently has about 15 planes stranded abroad due to lack of forex.
Onyema spoke at the Annual Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association held in Abuja.
He said, “Air Peace has about USD14m stranded in the Central Bank Nigeria. It is not hidden. We also have about 15 aircraft stranded abroad. After, people will say Nigerian airlines lack capacity. They do not lack capacity; what they lack is truthful government support and ease of doing business.
“Do you know the amount this country spends on aircraft maintenance through its airlines? Air Peace alone in 2022, expended N78bn on maintenance and these funds went to foreign countries. How can local investments grow like this?”
The Managing Director, Dana Air, Jacky Hathiramani, said aside from Air Peace, other domestic carriers were battling with the problem of dollar scarcity, saying it was high time the Federal Government intervened to save the domestic airline industry.
He said, “All domestic carriers are having challenge with forex. We have about four planes looking for forex from CBN for about two years and it’s about $4m. It needs to be known that many airlines have forex issues. The CBN need to help the aviation industry, so that airlines can maintain their schedules.”
According to findings by our correspondent, Max Air needs forex to complete routine maintenance of four planes in its fleet.
Further findings show that Azman has about two airplanes abroad.
“Azman has two airplanes in Kaduna while two others are overseas. The forex scarcity is hitting hard on operators. Some of the airplanes are supposed to go to Dakota but they are still in Nigeria because of the forex issue,” an official who chose to speak under condition of anonymity due to lack of permission to comment on the matter said.
Commenting on the development, the Chief Executive Officer of Aero Contractors and former Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Captain Ado Sanusi, said the carrier was lucky not to have any aircraft stranded overseas because the company runs a maintenance facility in the country.
“Well, because Aero Contractors owns a Maintenance, Repairs Overhaul, we don’t have our planes stuck outside. Now, on the scarcity of foreign exchange, airlines rely on it because almost everything we do is tied to foreign exchange; so if there is scarcity of dollars, definitely it will affect us too. It will affect ticket price, it’ll affect everything that we do. It’s a bit challenging and I pray that this govt can tackle it because it is important that we address it once and for all.”
Special forex window
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for Airline Operators of Nigeria and Chairman of United Airlines Nigeria, Prof Obiora Okonkwo, said there was a need for the CBN to create a special forex window to save the local airline industry.
He said, “Air tickets could cost as much as N250k at this current exchange rate and cost of JETA1. It is not to exploit passengers, but rather to ensure financial integrity of airlines which is another way of ensuring air safety.”
Lamenting the challenge facing operators, Okonkwo said, “You have naira and you can’t convert it to dollar. So, the solution to this is for our minister to understand that we need a special window with the CBN to access foreign exchange.”
He, therefore, advised the new minister “should work with other agencies of government to rid the sector of speculators. There is no reason, no matter the international price of crude oil, that the aviation fuel should be delivered at a pump price more than N500. Everything you see on top of it is speculation.
He added, “The government and new aviation minister have to recognise the aviation industry as one of the essential industries in the country. It is no more for the rich only but a means of transportation.”
The Chief Executive Officer of Centurion Aviation, Group Capt Ojikutu, said, “Local airfare for a one-hour flight should be about $200 due to costs. We need to do the needful: refine fuel locally and establish MRO where maintenance can be done locally. Then airfares can come down significantly.”
Meanwhile, officials have said flight disruption may worsen over the shortage of aircraft.
Hon. Alex Mascot Ikwechegh, Member representing Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as “responsive leadership” following the Federal Government’s decision to accelerate implementation of the 2026 budget.
Speaking on Magic FM, Aba, on Thursday, Ikwechegh said the renewed push to release funds to Ministries, Departments and Agencies demonstrated that the President listens to the legislature.
“Mr. President has shown he is a listening President who has the interest of the nation at heart. He did not see our concerns as opposition. He saw them as part of our job to ensure Nigerians get value for money,” the lawmaker stated.
Ikwechegh had earlier drawn national attention after raising a motion on the floor of the House over delays in budget releases despite appropriations passed by the National Assembly. The intervention sparked debate among lawmakers over the slow pace of capital project execution.
The Federal Government has since announced measures to fast-track releases under the 2026 Appropriation Act, which provides for an aggregate expenditure of ₦68.32 trillion, with ₦32.2 trillion earmarked for capital expenditure.
According to Ikwechegh, legislative oversight is most effective when it produces concrete results.
“Our job is to speak firmly when policies are not working, and to also acknowledge when government takes corrective action. That is how the executive and legislature serve the people together,” he said.
The Abia lawmaker stressed that the real test of the budget lies in delivery — completed roads, functional hospitals, jobs for youths, and improved services across constituencies.
He expressed optimism that with improved coordination between the National Assembly and the Presidency, Nigerians will increasingly begin to feel the impact of the 2026 budget as implementation gathers momentum.
Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan was the front-runner after last month’s first informal vote, in which the council’s 15 members, including the five with veto power, pass judgment in secret on the candidates.
Argentina’s Rafael Grossi — the current head of the UN nuclear watchdog — is also a candidate along with Chile’s Michelle Bachelet, Ecuador’s Maria Fernanda Espinosa, Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Uganda’s Olara Otunnu and Senegal’s Macky Sall.
After the first round concluded, Ecuador’s Ivonne A-Baki threw her hat into the race to succeed Antonio Guterres, who will complete his second five-year term on December 31, 2026.
“While the first straw poll set the scene for the Secretary-General race, the second may give us some direction about where it is headed,” said the International Crisis Group’s Daniel Forti.
“Diplomats expect fluctuations in the vote distribution compared to the July poll. Most will be watching to see whether the early front-runners consolidate their support or slip in the standings.
“It is unlikely that any candidate will emerge from (Friday’s) poll with a decisive lead.”
Forti said the veto-wielding nations — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — might wait until later to express their preferences, while new contenders could emerge.
Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, said Thursday he could not rule out that possibility.
“If, for example — I’m speculating now — if there is a deadlock on any of the candidates we are seeing today, if nobody… flies, then I think that we may see other candidates as well,” Nebenzia said.
Even if a candidate earns the required nine votes from the 15 available in the Security Council, they must also avoid a veto by the five major powers, which are deeply divided.
Once a candidate clears those bars, their name will go to the General Assembly of all UN members for confirmation.
The Security Council straw poll was devised in the early 1980s in an attempt to break a deadlock between two candidates shut down by vetoes.
The informal mechanism has persisted, in various forms, despite criticism from countries opposed to the opaque process.
“There is a good chance that some nominees realise after (Friday’s) vote that their campaigns have reached the end of the road,” Forti added.
Each member state must anonymously assign each candidate one of three labels: “encourage,” “discourage,” or “no opinion.”
That would give those with no support the opportunity to withdraw — though they are not obliged.
In the first rounds of the process expected to take several weeks, all ballots are the same colour.
But after an unspecified number of votes, the ballots of the five permanent members will become a different colour from those of the elected members, making it possible to identify potential vetoes, without knowing which country blackballed any given candidate.
It is tradition that the UN’s top job should rotate between different regions.
Under that premise, the role should go to a candidate from Latin America this time. There are many candidates from the region, though Sall and Otunnu hail from Africa.
The civilian-contracted plane crashed at the airport of the long-range radar site in Cape Newenham, on the state’s southwestern tip, the Alaskan Command said in a statement.
Rescuers who landed near the crash site “confirmed there were no survivors,” it said.
The statement did not say what those onboard were doing at the radar site, which tracks aircraft operating in Alaskan airspace.
“This is a devastating loss for our military family and the communities we serve,” said Alaskan Command chief Robert Davis.
“These individuals were dedicated professionals carrying out a vital mission in a demanding environment,” Lieutenant General Davis added.
The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) has admitted Enugu Air as Member, extending the Association’s membership base in Nigeria’s fast-growing domestic aviation market and reaffirming AFRAA’s commitment to supporting the continued development of African carriers across the continent.
This was announced by AFRAA in Nairobi on Wednesday, making Enugu Air the 50th Member of the association, joining the AFRAA airline fraternity, collectively representing more than 85 per cent of total international traffic carried by African airlines.
Speaking on the development on Thursday, AFRAA Secretary General, Mr Abdérahmane Berthé, said, “We are delighted to welcome Enugu Air into the AFRAA fraternity.
“As a state-backed carrier serving Nigeria’s rapidly expanding domestic market, Enugu Air represents the kind of homegrown investment that is vital to building resilient air connectivity across our continent.
“We look forward to supporting the airline through the IOSA certification process and to its continued growth within the AFRAA membership, as we work together to advance the cause of unified African skies.”
Reacting to the development on Thursday, the CEO of Enugu Air, Capt Tolu Ita, described the admission into AFRAA as a major milestone in the airline’s short history.
“We are honoured to join the AFRAA fraternity. This membership underscores Enugu Air’s commitment to safe, reliable, and affordable air travel for Nigerians while contributing to the vision of a unified African aviation market.
“We look forward to collaborating with fellow AFRAA members and leveraging the association’s support as we grow our network and pursue IOSA certification,” Tolu stated.
Founded on July 7, 2025, Enugu Air commenced commercial operations with a fleet of Embraer E170/E190/E195 aircraft.
The airline, which has its headquarters in Enugu and operates from the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, currently serves nine domestic destinations including Enugu, Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano and Benin City.
As part of the airline’s growth strategy, Enugu Air plans to expand further across Nigeria and, in subsequent phases, to launch regional and international routes across Africa, Europe, and beyond.
As part of its growth strategy, Enugu Air plans to expand further across Nigeria and, in subsequent phases, to launch regional and international routes across Africa, Europe, and beyond.
The admission of Enugu Air aligns with AFRAA’s strategic priorities and strengthens the voice of the association. Nigeria, as Africa’s most populous nation and one of its fastest-growing economies, remains central to the realization of a truly integrated African aviation market.
Meanwhile, AFRAA association, which was founded in Accra, Ghana, in April 1968, and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, has a mission meant to promote, serve African Airlines and champion Africa’s aviation industry.
The association envisions a sustainable, interconnected and affordable air transport industry in Africa, where African airlines become key players and drivers of African economic development.
AFRAA membership cuts across the entire continent and includes all the major intercontinental African operators.
The association’s members represent over 85 per cent of total international traffic carried by African airlines.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, has rejected calls for the Federal Government to publish details of how it plans to spend funds drawn from its $5bn financing facility with First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Oyedele said the transaction had been subjected to unnecessary scrutiny, arguing that the facility was approved by the National Assembly and was structured to help the government refinance more expensive debt.
He spoke on Wednesday during a media briefing in Abuja.
The Federal Government recently drew about $1.5bn, the first tranche of the $5bn Total Return Swap facility arranged with First Abu Dhabi Bank, despite concerns from the International Monetary Fund and Fitch Ratings over the transparency and risks associated with such financing structures.
The $5bn facility was approved by the National Assembly on March 31, 2026, while the initial drawdown was expected to support the 2026 budget, infrastructure projects and the refinancing of existing debt obligations.
Responding to a question on the borrowing plan and whether details of the First Abu Dhabi Bank transaction would be made public, Oyedele said the government would publish information on how it spends public funds but questioned why the particular facility was receiving special attention.
“We will not publish how we are spending it. We will publish how we spend government money. There’s nothing special about that loan,” he said.
He added, “Nobody has asked us whether we’re going to publish the money we took from the World Bank, whether we publish the one from Eurobond, whether we publish the one from Sukuk. Why is this one special?”
Oyedele also dismissed suggestions that the transaction was conducted without due process, noting that it had been presented to the National Assembly.
“The loan was approved not only by FEC, it was taken to National Assembly because what some people are doing is they comparing with other countries where they did it under the table.
“What else can be more public than what you gave to the National Assembly?” he said.
The minister said the government had assessed the transaction carefully and was accessing the funds in phases to avoid incurring unnecessary costs.
“We’re assessing it in phases. You don’t want to take all the money at once because if you don’t spend it at once, you incur cost on the extra amount you’ve taken,” he said.
He explained that the financing arrangement was different from Nigeria’s traditional fixed-rate borrowing because the First Abu Dhabi Bank facility had a flexible interest rate.
“You need to understand the transaction. You know, there’s always the textbook analysis and there’s the real life of what you’re doing.
According to him, Nigeria could not benefit from the lower yield on its existing fixed-rate debt.
“This First Abu Dhabi Bank transaction is flexible rates. It means if rates go up, we pay more. If rates come down, we benefit more.
“There’s nothing that says we must always do one thing. And the all-in rate for this transaction is lower than our existing portfolio,” he said.
Oyedele said the primary objective was to refinance more expensive debt and reduce the government’s borrowing costs.
“So the objective is to use it to refinance expensive debt so you can save money,” he said.
The Federal Government is required to pledge securities worth about 133 per cent of the amount drawn as collateral under the arrangement.
The International Monetary Fund and Fitch Ratings had raised concerns about the financing structure, including issues around transparency and sovereign debt risks.
The IMF had warned that derivative financing structures such as total return swaps could be difficult to track and value in real time, potentially obscuring the extent of a country’s financial obligations.
Fitch Ratings also warned that Nigeria’s planned $5bn arrangement could increase sovereign debt risks and reduce transparency in public debt reporting.
Oyedele, however, said the government would soon publish frequently asked questions on the transaction to provide further clarification.
“In the next few days, you will see on the website both the Ministry of Finance and DMO the frequently asked questions about this particular debt or bond, just so everybody can please themselves,” he said.
He added that there was “nothing special” about the loan, despite the attention it had received from critics and international media.
“I spend time on it because I think it’s important and the international media also, for some reason, have taken so much interest in it. But that is what it is.” Oyedele said.
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