• Login
  • Register
Nairametrics
  • Home
  • Exclusives
    • Financial Analysis
    • Corporate Stories
    • Interviews
    • Investigations
    • Metrics
    • Economy
    • Nairalytics
  • Markets
    • Currencies
    • Cryptos
    • Commodities
    • Equities
      • Company Results
      • Dividends
      • Stock Market
    • Fixed Income
    • Market Views
    • Securities
  • Sectors
    • Agriculture
    • Aviation
    • Company News
    • Consumer Goods
    • Corporate Updates
    • Corporate deals
    • Corporate Press Releases
    • Energy
    • Entertainment
    • Financial Services
    • Health
    • Hospitality & Travel
    • Manufacturing
    • Real Estate and Construction
    • Renewables & Sustainability
    • Tech News
  • Business News
    • Budget
    • Public Debt
    • Funds Management
    • Tax
  • Financial Literacy
    • Career tips
    • Personal Finance
  • Lifestyle
    • Billionaire Watch
    • Profiles
  • Opinions
    • Blurb
    • Op-Eds
    • Research Analysis
  • Recapitalization
    • Access Holdings Offer
    • Fidelity Bank Offer
    • GTCO Offer
    • Zenith Bank Offer
  • Home
  • Exclusives
    • Financial Analysis
    • Corporate Stories
    • Interviews
    • Investigations
    • Metrics
    • Economy
    • Nairalytics
  • Markets
    • Currencies
    • Cryptos
    • Commodities
    • Equities
      • Company Results
      • Dividends
      • Stock Market
    • Fixed Income
    • Market Views
    • Securities
  • Sectors
    • Agriculture
    • Aviation
    • Company News
    • Consumer Goods
    • Corporate Updates
    • Corporate deals
    • Corporate Press Releases
    • Energy
    • Entertainment
    • Financial Services
    • Health
    • Hospitality & Travel
    • Manufacturing
    • Real Estate and Construction
    • Renewables & Sustainability
    • Tech News
  • Business News
    • Budget
    • Public Debt
    • Funds Management
    • Tax
  • Financial Literacy
    • Career tips
    • Personal Finance
  • Lifestyle
    • Billionaire Watch
    • Profiles
  • Opinions
    • Blurb
    • Op-Eds
    • Research Analysis
  • Recapitalization
    • Access Holdings Offer
    • Fidelity Bank Offer
    • GTCO Offer
    • Zenith Bank Offer
Nairametrics
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusives

Airline Traffic: 2.1 million passengers travel in and out of Nigeria in 2021

Total passenger traffics is still down 50% from pre-covid

Abiola Odutola by Abiola Odutola
February 9, 2022
in Exclusives, Hospitality & Travel
Abuja, Lagos airport accounts for 68% of domestic travels as air activities rises in H1 2021
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linkedin

Foreign airlines (27) airlifted 1,112,884 outbound passengers in 2021 and only 1,086,394 inbound passengers were recorded in the year under review.

This was disclosed by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) via its Executive summary of International and domestic flights.

According to the document, which was obtained by Nairametrics, 2,199, 278 passengers comprising 1,086,394 inbound and 1,112,884 outbound respectively were recorded in 2021 in 9,675 flights. This is only about 50% of the traffics recorded in 2019 (pre-COVID), but it is an indication that the sector is making a gradual rebound.

RelatedStories

NCAA grants approval for Enugu Air to operate via XEJet pending AOC completion 

NCAA grants approval for Enugu Air to operate via XEJet pending AOC completion 

July 8, 2025
NCAA revokes Air Operator Certificates of Eastwind Aviation and Omni-Blu Aviation 

NCAA orders airlines with grounded aircraft to cut down operations, threatens harsher sanctions 

May 4, 2025

Read: UK approved Study Visas to Nigerians rises by 347% in 2021

Key highlights of the report

  • Africa World Airline, Asky Airlines lead the pack of sought after airlines
  • Africa World Airline led with 1,141 flights airlifting 42,882 inbound passengers and 47, 692 outbound
  • Asky with 884 flights and 63, 184 inbound and 65,307 outbound passengers
  • Ethiopian Airlines operated 828 flights airlifting 120,349 inbound and 97,845 outbound passengers
  • British Airways operated 584 flights with 107,519 inbound and 130,820 outbound passengers
  • Turkish Airline did 669 flights with 95,302 inbound and 115, 283 outbound passengers.
  • Lufthansa operated 555 flights airlifting 75,641 and 78,139 inbound and outbound passengers
  • Qatar Airways did 679 flights with 111,964 and 116,664 inbound and outbound passengers

However, Emirates operated 225 flights with 27,960 inbound and 18,238 outbound passengers. The airline, which could have led the chart with 21 weekly frequencies, was banned from operation for several months in 2021 due to disagreement between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Nigerian government over COVID-19 protocols.

Read: Long queue hits Lagos visa application office as UK resumes visa application process

What this means

The flight operations indicated a trend of migration as more people left the country than returned, as some of the major airlines’ passengers enroute the United Kingdom, Canada among others did not return.

Nairametrics observed a migration trend to Europe and Middle East countries. For instance, Turkish Airline airlifted more people out than it brought back. No fewer than 115, 283 travelled out while only 95,302 returned to the country.

This is similar to Qatar Airways’ figure which showed 116,664 travelling with the airline while 111,964 returned with the airline. Also, British Airways report also indicated that while 130,820 passengers left through the airline, only 107,519 returned.

Read: Why Nigerians are relocating to Canada

What experts are saying about the trend

Experts, who spoke with Nairametrics in separate interviews, explained that the development witnessed in the international arm of the sector is an indication that there is a steady migration trend in the country.

An aviation analyst, Muyiwa Ajanaku, explained that though the international traffic is still low, compared with the pre-COVID-19 traffic, the data showed that most people that go out of Nigeria, especially to Istanbul enroute UK; London enroute Canada do not return.

He said, “It is certain that most people on that route will not return anytime soon and why the figure is not much is that most people on inbound flights were not the ones that left but some traders, expatriates and passengers with visiting visas.

“What we saw in 2021 is only 50% traffic recorded in 2019. From the look of things, we can attribute the development to a migration trend.”

Read: Over 18,000 Nigerians got Canadian permanent residency in 3 years

Bimbo Olaniyi, an investor in the sector, attributed the migration trend to poor economy and insecurity in the country. He insists the frequency of migration could have been more but for covid restrictions in some of the host countries.

“I think insecurity contributed both positively and negatively because now people can hardly travel by road and we have more people getting out of the country.

“The figure would have hit the roof but for travel restrictions placed by several countries including UK, Canada among others. For about a year, Canada was not treating the Permanent Residency Applications submitted due to new Covid-19 variants witnessed across the globe. This figure will further increase by the end of 2022 because I will also join them,” he said.


Follow us for Breaking News and Market Intelligence.
Tags: FeaturedNCAANigerian Civil Aviation Authority
Abiola Odutola

Abiola Odutola

For further inquiries about this article, contact: Email: abiola.odutola@nairametrics.com Twitter: @AbiolaOdutola @nairametrics

Related Posts

NCAA grants approval for Enugu Air to operate via XEJet pending AOC completion 
Aviation

NCAA grants approval for Enugu Air to operate via XEJet pending AOC completion 

July 8, 2025
NCAA revokes Air Operator Certificates of Eastwind Aviation and Omni-Blu Aviation 
Aviation

NCAA orders airlines with grounded aircraft to cut down operations, threatens harsher sanctions 

May 4, 2025
NCAA revokes Air Operator Certificates of Eastwind Aviation and Omni-Blu Aviation 
Aviation

NCAA to sanction airstrips, airports lacking valid permits beginning January 2026

April 28, 2025
Aero contractors
Aviation

Aero Contractors pays NCAA sanction fee for passenger rights violations in Nigeria 

March 28, 2025
NCAA grants Air Algérie operating permit, inaugural flight slated for April 6 
Aviation

NCAA grants Air Algérie operating permit, inaugural flight slated for April 6 

March 26, 2025
Max Air , NMDPRA, NCAA
Aviation

NCAA clears Max Air to restart domestic operations after 90-day suspension

March 17, 2025
Next Post
Johann Rupert, Cie Financiere Richemont, Aliko Dangote

Johann Rupert; South African billionaire and second richest man in Africa now worth $11.5 billion

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Emple
nlng
first bank








DUNS

Recent News

  • Alleged Fraud: Court grants forefeiture of N335 million, Galaxy Hospital, 5 Petrol Stations, lands  
  • Nigeria hits OPEC’s output quota of 1.5 million bpd in June 2025 
  • UniCal VC Prof. Florence Obi vows to resolve Dentistry induction crisis within few months 

Follow us on social media:

Recent News

Federal High Court, REA

Alleged Fraud: Court grants forefeiture of N335 million, Galaxy Hospital, 5 Petrol Stations, lands  

July 16, 2025
OPEC, crude oil production

Nigeria hits OPEC’s output quota of 1.5 million bpd in June 2025 

July 16, 2025
  • iOS App
  • Android App
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • Markets
  • Sectors
  • Economy
  • Business News
  • Financial Literacy
  • Disclaimer
  • Ads Disclaimer
  • Copyright Infringement

© 2025 Nairametrics

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Social Media Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Exclusives
    • Financial Analysis
    • Corporate Stories
    • Interviews
    • Investigations
    • Metrics
    • Economy
    • Nairalytics
  • Markets
    • Currencies
    • Cryptos
    • Commodities
    • Equities
      • Company Results
      • Dividends
      • Stock Market
    • Fixed Income
    • Market Views
    • Securities
  • Sectors
    • Agriculture
    • Aviation
    • Company News
    • Consumer Goods
    • Corporate Updates
    • Corporate deals
    • Corporate Press Releases
    • Energy
    • Entertainment
    • Financial Services
    • Health
    • Hospitality & Travel
    • Manufacturing
    • Real Estate and Construction
    • Renewables & Sustainability
    • Tech News
  • Business News
    • Budget
    • Public Debt
    • Funds Management
    • Tax
  • Financial Literacy
    • Career tips
    • Personal Finance
  • Lifestyle
    • Billionaire Watch
    • Profiles
  • Opinions
    • Blurb
    • Op-Eds
    • Research Analysis
  • Recapitalization
    • Access Holdings Offer
    • Fidelity Bank Offer
    • GTCO Offer
    • Zenith Bank Offer
  • Login
  • Sign Up

© 2025 Nairametrics