Numbers reeled out by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have shown an increase of both aircraft movement in the fourth quarter of 2015, with aircraft moving in and out of Nigerian airports increasing to 61,692, approximately 6.9 percent.
This figure, when juxtaposed with the third quarter of 2015, which had 57,704 of aircraft movement, showed a clear over 3,988 difference, a decrease of 1.1 percent in relative to second quarter of the same year under review.
These data compiled by the bureau May 1, 2016, indicate that the upsurge in aircraft movement in the fourth quarter of last year was as a result of the festive period; Christmas and New Year celebrations in that period.
However, the bureau in its statistical analysis disclosed that aircraft movement in the third quarter of 2015, reduced by 10.3 percent when compared with third quarter of 2014, while the fourth quarter of 2015, represented 13.6 percent decline when compared with the same period of 2014.
The bureau added, “These declines were both larger than the corresponding year-on-year declines in passenger numbers, indicating that passengers per flight increased over this period.
“In contrast with the number of passengers, the year-on-year fall in the number of domestic flights was larger than the fall in the number of international flights.
“In the third and fourth quarters of 2015, there were 11.3 per cent and 14.3 per cent fewer domestic flights than in the same quarter of 2014 respectively, which resulted in a total of 46,157 and 50,686 flights in the third and fourth quarter.”
NBS added that the year-on-year declines in the number of international flights were 3.3 per cent and 10.5 per cent in the third and fourth quarter of 2015 respectively, which resulted in a total of 11,547 international flights in third quarter of 2015 and 11,006 in the fourth.
The Bureau also explained that there was a large quarterly increase in domestic flights in the fourth quarter of 2015 (of 9.8 per cent) international flights saw a decline of 541 flights, or 4.7 per cent, reversing the increase of 344 flights (3.1%) recorded in the third quarter.
The difference between the number of domestic and international aircraft to pass through Nigeria airports tended to be smaller than the difference between the number of domestic and international passengers, reflecting the fact that international aircraft tended to be larger, and therefore carried more passengers.
Also, the shares of domestic flights accounted for by each airport were similar to the shares of passengers accounted for by each airport.
For instance, the Lagos Airport accounted for the largest share of domestic flights in each quarter considered, accounting for 37.3 percent in the third quarter of 2015 and 35.6 percent in the fourth, compared with domestic passenger shares of 37 percent and 36.1 percent, respectively.
Similarly, Abuja Domestic Airport accounted for 32 percent and 33.8 percent of domestic flights in the third and fourth quarter, compared with passenger shares of 34.7 percent and 33.8 percent.
On the international scene, the international wing of Lagos Airport accounted slightly lower share of international aircraft than of international passengers.
