By Justina Okpanku
Airport operators in Nigeria have insisted
many of the factors responsible for flight disruptions were outside the control of airlines.
Not a few had looked forward to
Day 3 of the just- concluded Akwaaba African Travel Market as the organisers lined up experts in the aviation sector to join the conversation on flight delays and cancellation during it’s “Aviation Day.”
The event with the theme, “Delayed and Cancelled Flights: The Rules and the Rights of Passengers – The Airline Perspective” took place.
It was important for industry stakeholders when the lineup of the experts was revealed
to examine the causes of flight delays, cancellations, solutions and the rights of passengers.
Akwaaba African Travel Market is an annual tourism exhibition held in Lagos, Nigeria.
The organisers of the event which attracted travel industry practitioners from Africa and beyond obviously knew flight delays and cancellation have adverse impact on travel trade. The Nigerian experience is worsening by the day so much so that the travelling public now asks what to do with the challenge. The
operators spoke at the ‘Aviation Day’
Airlines say airport congestion, weather and infrastructure challenges are among the factors contributing to flight delays and cancellations in Nigeria.
Nigeria’s airline operators attributed the high rate of flight delays and cancellations in the country to airport congestion, inadequate infrastructure, bad weather and technical challenges.
The Chief Commercial Officer of United Nigeria Airlines, Mr. Adedayo Olawuyi, said many of the factors responsible for flight disruptions were outside the control of airlines. He said congestion at airports, particularly during the morning rush, could prevent aircraft from moving even after they had pushed back from the terminal.
Olawuyi explained that an aircraft scheduled to push back at 6:59 a.m. could sometimes remain on the ground because other aircraft were occupying the ramp and taxiway, resulting in significant delays before take-off.
Airlines, he said, do not deliberately delay flights but operational challenges within the wider airport environment can affect their schedules.
The airline COO also identified technical problems as another cause of delays, stressing that airlines must prioritise safety whenever an aircraft develops a fault.
“When these technical challenges occur, we must maintain the safety of that flight and ensure that everything is properly done and that the aircraft is fixed before it is released into service.”
Olawuyi also cited bad weather as a major factor behind flight delays and cancellations.
He recalled a recent Lagos-Kano flight which was scheduled to depart at 8 p.m. but was delayed because of bad weather in Kano.
The aircraft eventually left Lagos at about 10:30 p.m., but could not land in Kano after a thunderstorm disabled the runway lighting system.
The aircraft subsequently returned to Lagos and landed at about 1 a.m.
Olawuyi said the incident illustrated the difficulties airlines face when delays extend beyond the operating hours of airports.
He noted that many airports in Nigeria operate on a dusk-to-dawn basis, meaning they cannot handle flights at night. As a result, delays caused by weather, congestion or other operational issues can eventually lead to cancellations.
Reacting to data released by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority showing that more than 60 per cent of domestic flights were delayed in August 2026, Olawuyi called for a clearer distinction between controllable and uncontrollable delays.
He argued that the figures should show how many delays were caused by airlines and how many resulted from factors outside their control.
“When you remove the controllable delays and you have a high number of 60 per cent, then you can say the problem is the airlines.”
He said: “
The issue of flight delays should involve all stakeholders in the aviation ecosystem, including airlines, airport operators and regulators.”
On passengers rights, United Nigeria Airlines executive also highlighted passenger rights during flight disruptions. He said passengers should receive refreshments when a flight is delayed for up to two hours and a full meal where the delay extends to four hours.
He added that passengers could also be entitled to compensation in cases of extended delays, depending on the applicable regulations and circumstances surrounding the disruption.
Olawuyi urged passengers to arrive at the airport on time, monitor messages concerning their flights and use online check-in where available and appealed to passengers to remain calm when operational problems occur.
On cancellations, he said airlines could be required to provide accommodation and transportation in certain circumstances, particularly where the cancellation is attributable to the airline and occurs late at night.
The debate continued at the event (Akwaaba exhibition)
The Chief Commercial Officer of ValueJet, Mr. Trevor Henry, also identified several factors responsible for flight delays and cancellations.
Henry cited presidential movements, weather, congestion at check-in points, security screening, boarding lounges and boarding gates.
He said congestion could continue even after passengers had boarded, with aircraft sometimes facing delays on the taxiway before reaching the runway, particularly during the morning peak period.
The Chief Operating Officer of Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two, Mr. Remi Jibodu, proposed a coordinated slot system to address congestion at airports.
Jibodu said thousands of passengers arrive at airports to catch flights scheduled around 7 a.m., creating significant pressure on airport facilities.
He noted that more than 10 airlines could have flights scheduled around the same time in the morning, making delays difficult to avoid.
For him, airlines and airport operators need to coordinate departure schedules and stagger flights instead of having several operators leave at exactly the same time.
“The truth is that at this point, we have to look at the slot system to see how we can coordinate it.”
Jibodu said the arrangement did not necessarily have to be a full slot system, but some form of concession and coordination was needed to ease congestion.
The discussions highlight the need for greater coordination among airlines, airport operators and regulators as the industry continues to grapple with flight delays and cancellations and their impact on passengers.
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