Nigeria’s Serviceable Planes Drop From 65 to 44

…Ranks highest with unserviceable aircraft globally

Nigeria has been ranked as the country with the highest number of grounded aircraft globally, with only 44 serviceable planes currently in operation, LEADERSHIP has learnt.

LEADERSHIP reports that in 2022, the number of serviceable aircraft in Nigeria was 65 out of 107 owned by local airline operators.

However, according to data from CH-Aviation, in 2025, Nigeria, which has a total of 123 registered aircraft, now has 79 grounded, leaving just 15 scheduled airlines to struggle with the remaining functional fleet.

Hong Kong trails Nigeria on the global list, with 151 out of 244 aircraft grounded.

This sharp decline in available aircraft has significantly disrupted travel during the yuletide season, as local airlines continue to announce delays and flight cancellations across major routes.

Confirming the industry-wide fleet reduction, Charles Grant, the chief financial officer (CFO) of Aero Contractors, revealed that the combined aircraft fleet of all 15 scheduled airlines in Nigeria had decreased. He added that the total industry revenue for 2024 was estimated to be between $400 million and $700 million.

Grant further disclosed that earnings per serviceable aircraft ranged from $10 million to $18 million, supporting 15,200 jobs, which accounts for just 0.01 per cent of Nigeria’s aviation workforce.

According to him, most Nigerian airlines now operate with only four to six active aircraft, a situation far below national demand.

He said: “That is not a choice – it’s the result of punitive economics. And when aircraft are unavailable, we get the obvious knock-on effects: delays, cancellations, missed connections, poor customer experience and a public that loses confidence in flying local carriers.”

He added, “The industry can’t grow when the system punishes scale and availability. Until we fix the inputs, we will keep getting the same output: unreliable service, lost jobs and eroded national competitiveness.”

Nigeria’s aviation sector, vital for connecting its 200 million-plus population and fueling oil, trade, and tourism, has haemorrhaged aircraft over a decade.

Available data show that while around 90 planes flew reliably in 2014, COVID-19 grounded 40 per cent by 2020-2022, dropping serviceable units to 65 of 107.

By 2025, attrition accelerated amid forex scarcity and soaring costs.

Key culprits included the Naira devaluation and Dollar Crunch, when the currency slid from N410/$ in 2022 to over N1, 600/$, tripling dollar-based expenses for leasing,

Additionally, ageing fleets and supply chain woes have resulted in over 65 per cent of the  planes exceeding 15 years, past their optimal lifespans.

Global post-COVID parts shortages and NCAA inspections have sidelined dozens of aircraft.