NCAA Data Shows Nearly 60% of Domestic Flights Were Delayed in August
By Aboki Forex —
Nearly six in every ten domestic flights operated in Nigeria were delayed in August 2026, according to data released by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). Out of 7,961 domestic operations, 4,765 flights were delayed and 36 cancelled, a delay rate of roughly 59.8%.
The regulator used the figures to publicly criticise domestic carriers for abandoning passengers when flights are disrupted, accusing them of ignoring their obligations under Part 19 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations.
United Nigeria, Air Peace Top the Delay Table
United Nigeria Airlines recorded the worst performance among major carriers. It operated 1,231 flights, of which 943 were delayed, a delay rate of 76.6%.
Air Peace came next with 1,330 delayed flights out of 1,864 operations, a delay rate of 71.4%.
The rest of the field was not much better. Enugu Air delayed 66.3% of its flights, Arik Air 62.5%, Max Air 60.7%, Overland Airways 58.2% and ValueJet 56.7%.
The numbers lay bare the scale of operational difficulties passengers routinely face on Nigerian routes.
Airlines Flouting Part 19 Rules, NCAA Says
Michael Achimugu, director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, said carriers were breaching Part 19 of the regulations, which sets out their duties to passengers during disruptions.
Achimugu said: "We all know that disruptions must happen. Anywhere in the world, there's no amount of emotional blackmail that will lead me to say anything else. However, we also know that when these disruptions happen, there are duties of care and there are processes for passenger handling that the airline needs to carry out. In this regard, the airline unequivocally has failed."
He said airlines are required to offer light refreshments within two hours of a delay and a proper meal after six hours, but these provisions are routinely ignored. Timely communication with passengers was also flagged as a persistent failure.
Achimugu added that airline staff have a pattern of disappearing from airports when disruptions turn severe, leaving NCAA officials to manage frustrated passengers directly.
He said: "Every time there's a major crisis, there's fear of resorting to violence, their staff, they disappear."
Refunds and Compensation Still Unresolved
The NCAA also raised concerns about unresolved refund requests. Achimugu said a 48-hour refund commitment made by airline operators had not translated into practice, with a significant backlog of unresolved claims still on record.
On compensation for denied boarding due to overbooking, he said some carriers were offering discounts on future tickets instead of the prescribed cash compensation.
He said: "All the airline does is offer the passenger 25% rebate on your next ticket, not minding whether that passenger ever wants to fly the airline again or not."
The regulator said it will continue enforcing passenger protection rules and pressed airlines to improve both schedule reliability and the quality of care provided when disruptions occur.
The scale of the delays compounds cost pressure on Nigerian travellers and businesses. Local airfares have already surged by more than 100% amid a shortage of aircraft, and high-demand routes to Asaba, Anambra, Owerri, Port Harcourt and Enugu are sold out on several airline websites. Passengers paying premium fares are still not getting dependable schedules.