Better Working Conditions, Not Salaries, Driving Pilot Movements — Operator

The country manager of Afrikfly, Gbenga Onitilo, has said that the search for better working conditions, career progression, and environments aligned with global best practices and not salary is the primary factor pushing pilots to move from one airline to another in Nigeria.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP, Onitilo, a former country manager for Afriqiyah Airways and Air Namibia, said poaching has become inevitable in the Nigerian aviation industry because capacity is already stretched and the pipeline for new pilots remains thin.

“Reading through the developments and speaking with those directly involved, one thing is clear: the core issue isn’t the salary increments being offered by competing airlines. What truly drives the movement of Pilots is the search for better working conditions, career progression, and environments that align with global best practices.

“In fact, some airlines are even willing to offset bonded financial obligations just to attract experienced pilots, a natural outcome in a sector with limited manpower supply. In an industry where capacity is already stretched and the pipeline for new pilots is thin, poaching becomes inevitable. This isn’t necessarily sabotage; it is simply the law of demand and supply playing out in real time.”

Onitilo urged Nigerian carriers to focus on sustainability, long-term talent development, and the creation of globally competitive working environments.

He argued that these measures, rather than regulatory intervention, would provide the stability the sector urgently needs.

“Instead of asking regulators to intervene, which in this case would be stepping outside their jurisdiction, the sustainable path forward is for airlines to strategically invest in building the next generation of pilots. Establishing structured cadet and internship programs, bonding trainees fairly, and creating competitive working conditions will reduce churn and stabilise the workforce over time,” he stated.

“The issue is not poaching. The issue is churn. And churn can only be mitigated by addressing the underlying conditions that make pilots want to leave in the first place.

“If airlines focus on sustainability, talent development, and global-standard working environments, the industry will experience far greater stability than any regulatory intervention could ever provide,” Onitilo added.