United Nigeria Airlines and Max Air recorded the highest flight cancellation rates in Nigeria during the third quarter of 2025, according to data released by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), despite an overall improvement in domestic aviation performance.
The NCAA’s Q3 2025 report, covering July to September and compared with the same period in 2024, showed United Nigeria Airlines with a cancellation rate of 0.63 per cent, down from 0.70 per cent a year earlier. Max Air followed with 0.42 per cent, improving from 0.60 per cent in Q3 2024.
Arik Air recorded a cancellation rate of 0.30 per cent, a sharp improvement from 1.70 per cent in the previous year, while Air Peace cut cancellations significantly from 1.70 per cent in Q3 2024 to 0.09 per cent in Q3 2025.
Aero Contractors maintained a steady cancellation rate of 0.30 per cent, while Green Africa reduced its rate from 0.50 per cent to 0.27 per cent. Ibom Air also improved performance, cutting cancellations from 0.80 per cent to 0.12 per cent, and NG Eagle reduced its rate from 0.10 per cent to 0.03 per cent.
Overland Airways, Rano Air and Value Jet each recorded cancellation rates of 0.03 per cent in Q3 2025, compared with higher figures in the same period of 2024, while XEJet posted a cancellation rate of 0.12 per cent.
Overall, the NCAA said 17,731 domestic flights were operated between July and September 2025, compared with 15,989 flights in the same period of 2024. During the quarter, 80 flights were cancelled, a sharp decline from the 251 cancellations recorded a year earlier.
On delays, Air Peace recorded the highest delay rate at 6.87 per cent in Q3 2025, though this was an improvement from 8.07 per cent in Q3 2024. Max Air followed with 3.75 per cent, while United Nigeria recorded 3.42 per cent, both slightly lower than their rates in the previous year.
The authority said a total of 765 flights were delayed during the quarter, down from 843 in Q3 2024, as several airlines, including Ibom Air, Green Africa, Overland Airways and Value Jet, recorded notable improvements in on-time performance.