Domestic air passenger traffic in Nigeria has declined by 11 percent over three years, dropping from 14,057,060 passengers in 2022 to 12,543,153 in 2024, with industry stakeholders attributing the worrying trend to soaring airfares driven by inflationary pressures, poor living standards, and lack of disposable income in the harsh economy.
Domestic air passenger traffic in Nigeria has declined by 11 percent over three years, from 14,057,060 passengers in 2022 to 13,409,701 in 2023 and further to 12,543,153 in 2024, according to Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) data, raising fresh worries among domestic operators and industry stakeholders about the need to stimulate local travel amid soaring airfares and harsh economic conditions.
The Managing Director of Ibom Air, Mr George Uriesi, disclosed that passenger traffic declined by 27 percent in the first few months of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024, stating during the Airport Business Summit and Expo in Lagos: “We are down by 27 per cent from 2024. We are in trouble, we have to find a way to get people flying again.