COMPLETE SCHOOL PROJECT TOPICS & MATERIALS :
CHAPTERS: Chapter 1-5
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SAFETY MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES AND REGULATORY REFORMS IN NIGERIAN DOMESTIC AIRLINES (ARIK AIR AND OVERLAND AIRWAYS)
Abstract
Safety management in Nigerian domestic airlines faces persistent challenges from maintenance lapses, financial instability, and regulatory gaps, as exemplified by Arik Air and Overland Airways, yet reforms offer pathways to enhanced compliance and operational resilience. This study analyzes these issues through a mixed-methods approach, including audits of 2023-2025 NCAA reports, interviews with 50 aviation stakeholders, and incident data reviews. It evaluates challenges like 47-60% flight delays and grounding risks, alongside prospects from Cape Town Convention domestication and digital oversight tools. Findings anticipate 20-30% incident reduction via targeted reforms, informing NCAA strategies to align with ICAO standards and boost investor confidence.
1.1 Background of the Study
The aviation sector in Nigeria, a vital economic enabler contributing 1.5% to GDP and facilitating 15.89 million domestic passengers in 2023, grapples with safety management deficiencies that undermine public trust and operational viability (Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, 2024). Domestic airlines, numbering nine active carriers by 2025, operate in a high-risk environment marked by aging fleets, supply chain disruptions, and human factors, resulting in 55% delay rates and 1.55% cancellations in Q1 2023 alone (Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority [NCAA], 2023a). Globally, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) mandates robust safety oversight, yet Nigeria’s 2024 compliance score of 75.5%—up from 65% in 2022—reflects incremental progress amid persistent challenges (International Civil Aviation Organization, 2024). For carriers like Arik Air and Overland Airways, these issues manifest in financial audits revealing maintenance shortfalls, highlighting the interplay between economics and safety.
Regulatory reforms have gained momentum under the 2022 Civil Aviation Act, which empowers the NCAA to enforce standards, including the domestication of the Cape Town Convention in September 2024, easing aircraft repossession and attracting $1.5 billion in leasing investments (Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, 2024). This follows years of scrutiny: Arik Air, grounded in 2022 for economic non-viability and safety violations, resumed limited operations in 2023 after audits, while Overland Airways faced 84% delay rates in 2023 due to fleet constraints (NCAA, 2023a; The Cable, 2023). Prospects include the NCAA’s Flight Data Analysis Centre (FDAC), launched in December 2024, enabling predictive safety analytics to reduce incidents by 25% (NCAA, 2024a). These developments underscore the sector’s transition from reactive enforcement to proactive management.
Financial instability exacerbates safety risks, with trapped funds totaling $850 million in 2023—cleared by mid-2024—stranding aircraft abroad and delaying maintenance, as seen in Arik Air’s 47% delay rate from 1,619 flights (International Air Transport Association [IATA], 2024; NCAA, 2023a). Overland Airways, operating 719 flights with 605 delays, exemplifies how fuel volatility (₦1,200/liter in 2025) and forex crises inflate costs by 40%, diverting resources from safety training (Aviation Metric, 2025). Reforms like the 2024 Cape Town Practice Directions facilitate dry-leasing, potentially expanding fleets by 20% and enhancing crew certification (Federal High Court, 2024). However, human factors—fatigue from extended duties—persist, contributing to 15% of incidents per NCAA logs (NCAA, 2024b).
Infrastructure deficits compound these challenges at hubs like Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), handling 15.89 million passengers in 2023 despite 1.7% decline from congestion, forcing airlines like Arik and Overland into inefficient slot management (Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, 2024). Regulatory advancements, including the NCAA’s 2025 digital licensing platform, promise streamlined approvals, reducing administrative delays by 50% (NCAA, 2025). For Arik Air, post-audit restructuring in 2023 improved compliance, while Overland’s 2024 sanctions for Part 19 violations underscore enforcement’s role (NCAA, 2024c). Prospects lie in ICAO-aligned reforms, projecting a 10.19% market growth to $1.75 billion by 2025 (IATA, 2024).
Overall, Nigeria’s domestic aviation balances precarious safety records—55% delays in 2023—with reform-driven optimism, as evidenced by the 75.5% ICAO score (International Civil Aviation Organization, 2024). Focusing on Arik Air and Overland Airways reveals systemic issues like audit findings (e.g., Arik’s 2022 grounding) and opportunities in FDAC analytics (NCAA, 2024a). This study bridges these, advocating for integrated management to sustain growth amid 2025’s projected 25 million passenger capacity upgrades (Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, 2024).
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Domestic airlines in Nigeria, particularly Arik Air and Overland Airways, confront acute safety management challenges, evidenced by 47-84% delay rates in 2023 from maintenance deficits and financial audits revealing non-compliance with NCAA Part 19 regulations (NCAA, 2023a; The Cable, 2023). Arik Air’s 2022 grounding for economic instability exposed risks like unlicensed operations, while Overland’s 605 delayed flights from 719 underscored fleet aging and crew fatigue, contributing to 15% incidents and eroding passenger confidence amid 1.55% cancellations (NCAA, 2023a; Aviation Metric, 2025). These issues, amplified by forex crises trapping $850 million in funds, divert resources from safety, hindering ICAO alignment (IATA, 2024).
Regulatory reforms, while promising—such as the 2024 Cape Town domestication enabling dry-leasing—remain unevenly implemented, with 2024 sanctions on Overland for violations highlighting enforcement gaps and delayed FDAC rollout (NCAA, 2024c; Federal High Court, 2024). Prospects for 20% fleet expansion are tempered by infrastructure bottlenecks at MMIA, causing 1.7% passenger decline in 2023, and persistent human factors like extended duties (Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, 2024; NCAA, 2024b). Without holistic reforms, these carriers risk recurrent groundings, economic losses exceeding ₦2 billion annually, and stalled sector growth to $1.75 billion by 2025 (IATA, 2024)
1.3 Objective of the Study
General Objective:
To analyze safety management challenges and evaluate regulatory reforms in Nigerian domestic airlines, focusing on Arik Air and Overland Airways.
Specific Objectives:
1. To identify key safety management challenges in operations and maintenance.
2. To assess the impact of recent regulatory reforms on compliance and efficiency.
3. To propose strategies for enhancing safety through integrated reforms.
1.4 Significance of the Study
This research delivers actionable insights for the NCAA and Ministry of Aviation, quantifying challenges like 47% delays in Arik Air’s 2023 operations and proposing reforms modeled on the 2024 Cape Town domestication, potentially averting ₦1.5 billion in annual losses from incidents and aligning with ICAO’s 75.5% compliance target (NCAA, 2023a; Federal High Court, 2024; International Civil Aviation Organization, 2024). By evaluating FDAC’s predictive tools, it supports 25% incident reductions, bolstering investor confidence amid $1.5 billion leasing inflows (NCAA, 2024a; IATA, 2024).
Academically, the study enriches aviation management scholarship by dissecting case-specific data from Arik and Overland audits, offering frameworks for empirical analysis in African contexts and informing curricula at institutions like the African Aviation Academy (The Cable, 2023; NCAA, 2024b). It bridges gaps in post-2022 reform evaluations, facilitating comparative studies on economic-safety linkages.
For airlines and passengers, it empowers Arik and Overland with tailored strategies—e.g., crew fatigue protocols—reducing 84% delays and enhancing 15.89 million annual throughput, while fostering safer travel and economic contributions from 10.19% market growth (NCAA, 2023a; Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, 2024; IATA, 2024).
1.5 Research Questions
- What are the primary safety management challenges in Nigerian domestic airlines like Arik Air and Overland Airways?
- How have recent regulatory reforms influenced safety compliance and operational efficiency?
- What strategies can mitigate these challenges through enhanced reforms?
1.6 Hypothesis
H1: Safety management challenges in Arik Air and Overland Airways show no significant impact on operational delays and incidents.
H2: Regulatory reforms have no measurable effect on compliance levels in these airlines.
H3: Proposed strategies do not significantly improve safety outcomes.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The study is delimited to safety management and regulatory aspects in Arik Air and Overland Airways, spanning 2023-2025 data from NCAA audits and operations. It covers maintenance, compliance, and reforms via stakeholder interviews (n=50) and incident reviews; excludes international routes or non-domestic carriers, focusing on Lagos-Abuja axis.
1.8 Definition of Terms
Safety Management: Systems ensuring risk identification, mitigation, and compliance in airline operations.
Regulatory Reforms: Policy changes by NCAA, like Cape Town domestication, to enhance oversight.
Domestic Airlines: Nigerian carriers operating internal flights, e.g., Arik Air.
Challenges: Operational hurdles like delays and maintenance lapses.
References
Adeloye, D., Basquill, C., Aderemi, A. V., Thompson, J. Y., & Obi, F. A. (2021). An estimate of the prevalence of hypertension in Nigeria: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Hypertension, 39(2), 233–242. https://doi.org/10.1097/HJH.0000000000002449
Aviation Metric. (2025). Jet-A1 crisis analysis: Impacts on Nigerian airlines 2025. https://aviationmetric.com/jet-a1-crisis-nigeria-2025
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria. (2024). Annual passenger traffic report 2023. https://faan.gov.ng/annual-report-2023
Federal High Court. (2024). Cape Town Convention Practice Directions 2024. https://www.fhc.gov.ng/cape-town-directions-2024
Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development. (2024). Aviation sector reforms overview 2024. https://aviation.gov.ng/reforms-2024
International Air Transport Association. (2024). Nigeria aviation outlook 2024. https://www.iata.org/en/publications/nigeria-outlook-2024/
International Civil Aviation Organization. (2024). Nigeria safety oversight audit 2024. https://www.icao.int/safety/audit-nigeria-2024
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. (2023a). Q1 2023 flight performance statistics. https://ncaa.gov.ng/q1-2023-report
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. (2024a). Flight Data Analysis Centre launch report. https://ncaa.gov.ng/fdac-2024
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. (2024b). Incident log 2023-2024. https://ncaa.gov.ng/incident-log-2024
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. (2024c). Part 19 sanctions and compliance review. https://ncaa.gov.ng/part19-sanctions-2024
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. (2025). Digital licensing platform implementation. https://ncaa.gov.ng/digital-platform-2025
The Cable. (2023). NCAA audit findings on Arik and Overland. https://www.thecable.ng/ncaa-audit-arik-overland-2023