Aero Contractors’ CEO, Captain Ado Sanusi, says the financial troubles faced by Nigerian airlines stem primarily from systemic issues, not just how the airlines are managed.
His analysis suggests that deeper, structural problems within the operating environment are the primary drivers of the sector’s economic instability.
Speaking to a full hall of aviation stakeholders at the FAAN National Aviation Conference, FNAC 2025 panel session with the topic: “Airline Profitability and Cost Optimization,” Capt. Sanusi said profitability in the Nigerian airspace remains “extremely difficult” because every part of the ecosystem contributes to the losses airlines incur.
While acknowledging the regulators’ crucial safety oversight role, he stressed that excessive regulatory charges, ageing infrastructure, weather-reporting gaps, and operational bottlenecks across agencies, FAAN, NCAA, NAMA, and NIMET—directly erode airline margins.
He pointed to daily delays triggered by infrastructural deficiencies, inaccurate weather reports that force mid-flight returns, and peak-hour airspace restrictions caused by training schedules.
“All these eat into our profit. No airline wants to delay or cancel a flight. What we sell is speed. When we delay, it harms us first.” Capt. Sanusi warned that blanket blame toward airlines, especially in conversations around delay penalties, could create safety risks.
He insisted that determining the cause of delays must remain the exclusive responsibility of the NCAA, noting that punitive policies from the legislature could pressure airlines into unsafe decisions to avoid sanctions.
The Aero CEO called for “genuine, long-term reform” of the aviation sector beyond roadmaps, agendas, and interventions he described as fragmented and short-lived.
He argued that Nigeria cannot achieve sustainable aviation growth without a 20- to 30-year structural overhaul that aligns all aviation agencies with efficiency, modernisation, and economic sustainability.
On technology, Capt. Sanusi affirmed that Aero Contractors is aggressively expanding its digital operations from paperless maintenance processes to AI-driven tools and electronic flight packs.
However, he emphasized that technological progress remains limited by the speed at which regulators approve new systems. “You can only be as efficient as the system you operate in,” he said, explaining that even simple tools like digital manuals require regulatory acceptance. “The future is bright, but the regulator must be ready.”
The airline CEO closed with an appeal for balanced taxation and supportive policies. He said airlines are not asking for exemptions but for a unified, sustainable tax regime that does not “tax operators to death.”
Despite harsh operating conditions, Capt. Sanusi praised the few carriers that have managed to remain profitable, calling them “evidence that Nigerian airlines can thrive if the system stops working against them.”
