The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had disclosed that Nigeria’s total scheduled airline capacity for September 2026 reached 1.19 million seats, a 37.4 per cent increase from the same period last year.
Speaking at the opening of the Airport Council International (ACI) Regional Africa conference on Tuesday in Abuja, the Managing Director of FAAN, Mrs Olubumi Kuku said ‘our aviation market now ranks as the fourth-largest in Africa, with over 18.8 million domestic and international passengers recorded in 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 11.9 per cent.
‘The Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos-whose oldest terminal is being rehabilitated and upgraded as we speak-recorded the fastest growth in scheduled seat capacity among Africa’s ten largest airports in September, with a remarkable 24.1 per cent increase.
‘According to OAG data, Nigeria’s total scheduled airline capacity for September 2026 reached 1.19 million seats, a 37.4 per cent increase from the same period last year-the fastest growth among Africa’s top ten aviation markets.
‘This is driven by currency reforms, new aircraft leasing agreements, and growing confidence from international carriers looking to fly to Nigeria’ she stated.
In her welcome Speech at conference and Exhibition 2026, FAAN MD, who is also the Vice President ACI-Africa explained that the ‘theme before us, ‘Next-Gen Airports: Driving Performance and Resilience’ is not merely a conference title. It is a strategic mandate. It is a call to action. It also reflects the journey we are collectively undertaking as a continent.
‘According to the latest data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), African airlines recorded a 6.4 per cent year-on-year increase in international passenger demand in July 2026.
‘Let me put that in perspective: while global international demand actually declined by 0.1 per cent during the same period, Africa was expanding. We are not just participating in global aviation recovery-we are leading it. And I am proud to be standing in the same room with the men and women moving Africans and their visitors safely and in comfort’.
Kuku said ‘our continent’s overall passenger demand grew by 5.2 per cent, second only to Latin America and the Caribbean, and substantially ahead of the global average of 0.2 per cent.
‘These figures are not abstract. They represent millions of Africans connecting with family, doing business, accessing healthcare, and exploring opportunities.
‘They represent livelihoods. They represent economic growth. They represent the future we are building together’ she stated..
The .D reaffirmed that.growth alone is not the full story. ‘Africa’s aviation sector faces structural headwinds that we must confront with clear eyes and collective resolve.
‘Our continent accounts for just 1 per cent of global air traffic despite having 18 per cent of the world’s population. Load factors remain below global averages, and our airlines’ financial viability remains fragile.
‘In Nigeria alone, with a population exceeding 220 million, we record approximately 19.5 million passengers annually across 28 airports.
‘The potential is vast, but the gap between where we are and where we could be remains substantial’.
She charged that’this is not a reason for despair, it is a reason for deliberate, strategic action. The challenges are real: funding constraints, infrastructure gaps, high operating costs, fragmented connectivity, and the persistent pressure to keep charges low while delivering world-class facilities’.
The MD reiterated that’these are the very issues this conference has been designed to address’ she stated.
The Conference is attended by aviation stakeholders from Africa and beyond.