FEATURES Archives - Aviation metric

Recycled pilots fuel domestic airlines’ poaching war

Posted on November 25, 2025November 25, 2025 by Wole Shadare

Just last week, Aviation Metric took a cursory look into the dearth of pilots, aircraft engineers and air traffic controllers; three critical professionals in the aviation industry. This week, the searchlight is on the practice of pilot recruitment, which is commonly referred to as poaching in the aviation industry. It has further exposed how the conditions of service, welfare, and other perks can force a pilot under a bond to seek a transfer of his service to…

Pilots’, ATC shortage: High Demand, Low Supply

Posted on November 19, 2025November 19, 2025 by Wole Shadare

The global shortage of pilots and Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) is a systemic problem caused by a combination of generational shifts, financial barriers, and critical disruptions to the training pipeline, writes WOLE SHADARE The Nigerian aviation industry faces a complex and paradoxical challenge: a severe shortage of experienced, type-rated personnel alongside a pool of unemployed, low-hour graduates. This is a critical issue that poses a threat to safety, limits operational capacity, and hinders the…

Govt’s strategic shift from ‘national hangar’ to private sector MROs’

Posted on November 11, 2025 by Wole Shadare

The establishment of comprehensive Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facilities is widely regarded by Nigerian airlines and industry stakeholders as the most critical single solution to achieving financial stability and operational efficiency in the country’s aviation sector. The development of MRO facilities is universally described by Nigerian airlines and industry experts as the ultimate “Game Changer” for the country’s aviation sector. It’s a game-changer because it fundamentally alters the financial and operational structure of the…

Lagos-Accra route: Market cannibalisation

Posted on November 4, 2025 by Wole Shadare

The saturation of the Lagos-Accra air route, where multiple Nigerian and regional carriers are competing, carries significant implications, primarily involving financial risk for the airlines and volatile benefits for passengers, writes WOLE SHADARE The wait is finally over as United Nigeria Airlines announces the commencement of direct flights to Accra, Ghana, beginning November 10, 2025. The commencement of the Accra route by the airline, no doubt, would serve as an important part of the…

Benchmarking 2014 national conference report, realities in aviation sector

Posted on October 28, 2025October 28, 2025 by Wole Shadare

The 2014 National Conference committee report on transportation highlights some of the areas that need improvement in the country’s aviation industry. The report is holistic. While some of the inadequacies have been tackled, many areas are still crying for adjustments and implementation, writes WOLE SHADARE The 2014 National Conference committee report on transportation, headed by Senator Musa Adede, went in-depth on how best to improve the country’s transportation system, reflecting the desire to improve the…

Comparative air travel costs analysis in Africa

Posted on October 21, 2025 by Wole Shadare

Flying within Africa is more expensive than just about anywhere else in the world. Travellers pay higher ticket prices and more tax, write, WOLE SHADARE It is no longer news that Nigeria and some African nations possess some of the highest taxes and charges. This situation has led to an astronomical increase in the price of air tickets, one that has made air travel very expensive in these regions. Lost revenue Nigeria is said to be…

Passengers as airlines’ transactional burden

Posted on October 14, 2025 by Wole Shadare

The observation that some airlines exhibit “appalling service delivery” amidst a period like Customer Service Week highlights a significant disconnect between the industry’s rhetoric and its reality, especially for the budget and mid-tier sectors where cost-cutting can override customer care, writes WOLE SHADARE Every year, business owners celebrate ‘Customer Service Week’, a week set aside by them to appraise service delivery to their customers. Not many customers feel the essence of the celebration’s impact because, in…

Ogun Airport: Paradigm shift, stark dichotomy from the past

Posted on October 7, 2025October 7, 2025 by Wole Shadare

Airports are visible, “shiny” symbols of development and modernity. For governors, completing an airport allows them to boast about “connecting” their state to the rest of the country and the world, serving as a powerful legacy project, writes WOLE SHADARE When the Ogun State Government, little over five years came up with the idea of building the Gateway International Agro-Cargo Airport, many did not give it a chance that the projection would come to fruition. No one should…

States stuck in rat race for own airlines

Posted on September 30, 2025September 30, 2025 by Wole Shadare

The rush by state governments to set up airlines is fueled by a mix of economic necessity, prestige, and the desire to control a key infrastructure sector, writes WOLE SHADARE The trend of Nigerian state governments establishing their own airlines or entering into partnerships to operate branded carriers has indeed become a significant development in the country’s aviation sector. This phenomenon is best described as a “race” or a growing competitive inclination, which is largely inspired…

Africa’s national airlines spring up from the dead

Posted on September 23, 2025September 23, 2025 by Wole Shadare

Concerns have been raised about the nationalisation of several airlines. Many African countries are beginning to revive their dead airlines amid the springing up of national carriers across Africa under different market arrangements, writes WOLE SHADARE The wave of state-owned airlines is beginning to gain traction. It is an indication of how important aviation is to the governments in driving the economic engines of their different nations. The huge ceremony that accompanied the inaugural flight…

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