Capt Sanusi
At the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) National Aviation Conference (FNAC 2025) in Abuja, Captain Ado Sanusi, Chief Executive Officer of Aero Contractors, told a packed hall of aviation stakeholders that the financial distress plaguing Nigerian carriers is rooted in deep‑seated systemic issues rather than poor airline management alone.
Speaking on the panel “Airline Profitability and Cost Optimization,” Capt. Sanusi described profitability in Nigeria’s airspace as “extremely difficult” because every component of the ecosystem contributes to the losses airlines incur.
While acknowledging the critical safety oversight role of regulators, he said excessive regulatory charges, ageing infrastructure, gaps in weather reporting and operational bottlenecks across agencies – including FAAN, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) – directly erode airline margins.
“Daily delays triggered by infrastructural deficiencies, inaccurate weather reports that force mid‑flight returns, and peak‑hour airspace restrictions caused by training schedules all eat into our profit,” Capt. Sanusi said, noting that, “no airline wants to delay or cancel a flight. What we sell is speed. When we delay, it harms us first.”
He warned that blaming airlines for delays, especially in discussions about penalty regimes, could push carriers toward unsafe decisions.
“Determining the cause of delays must remain the exclusive responsibility of the NCAA,” he asserted, adding that punitive legislative measures could pressure airlines into compromising safety to avoid sanctions.
The Aero Contractors chief called for “genuine, long‑term reform” of the aviation sector, dismissing existing roadmaps and interventions as fragmented and short‑lived.
“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,” he said.
On technology, Capt. Sanusi highlighted Aero Contractors’ aggressive digital transformation, from paperless maintenance to AI‑driven tools and electronic flight packs.
However, he noted that progress is hampered by the slow pace of regulatory approvals: “You can only be as efficient as the system you operate in. Even simple tools like digital manuals require regulatory acceptance. The future is bright, but the regulator must be ready.”
He concluded with an appeal for balanced taxation and supportive policies, stressing that airlines are not seeking exemptions but a unified, sustainable tax regime that does not “tax operators to death.
“Praising the few carriers that have managed to remain profitable, Capt. Sanusi said they are “evidence that Nigerian airlines can thrive if the system stops working against them.”
