Do you have a flight trip to make and you’re wondering which airline is the best airline in Nigeria in 2021? Well, Nigeria has a couple of airlines operating within her airspace and to most Nigerians, the best airline for them is known out of experience. Nevertheless, I’m here to assist you, check out the best airlines in Nigeria 2021 below;
1. Arik Air
Arik Air is one of the longest operating airlines in Nigeria as it was established in 2002. In 2021, it’s one of the best airlines in the country. The airline has about 21 fleets and can get you to about 16 destinations. However, the airline has just 2 hubs – the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. Arik Air has their headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos. Notably, since the airline started operations, there has been no report of any crash. Hence, this makes Arik Air one of the safest airlines in Nigeria.
2. Ibom Air
Ibom Air is one of the most recent airlines in Nigeria but yet, it’s among the best. The airline is owned by the Akwa Ibom state government and the state government launched the airline in 2018. Interesting, it’s the first airline in the country to be owned by a state. With just 5 fleets, the airline doesn’t operate at a very large scale. The focus destinations are just Uyo, Abuja, Calabar, and Lagos. Ibom Air has its headquarters in Uyo and its hub is the Akwa Ibom Airport also located in Uyo.
3. Dana Air
Dana Air is a relatively popular airline in Nigeria. Although the airline is somewhat infamous following the fatal crash in 2012, the company has since improved and in 2021, Dana Air offers some of the best airline services. Dana Air was founded in 2008 and has its hub at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. The company has its headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos state and with 8 fleets in their position. Dana Air only operates locally in Nigeria and flies to about 6 destinations including Port Harcourt, Owerri, Uyo, Abuja, and Enugu.
4. Aero Contractors
For domestic flights within Nigeria, Aero Contractors is among the highly recommended. Also known simply as Aero, this is about the oldest airline in Nigeria. The airline was founded in 1959, a year before Nigeria’s independence and has maintained operations as one of the best airlines in Nigeria up till 2020. Aero has its headquarters in the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. Furthermore, the airline has a fleet of 7 aircrafts and flies to 13 destinations. The airline is state-controlled and owned by different companies with Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria owning 60%.
5. Air Peace
Here’s another very famous airline in Nigeria for domestic and international flights. The airline is privately owned and launched services in 2013. It’s one of the largest domestic airlines in Nigeria with an impressive fleet size of 26 aircrafts. Also, the airline covers up to 20 destinations which is also very impressive when compared to other airlines. Air Peace handles international flights to Ghana, Liberia, Gambia, UAE, South Africa, etc. Air Peace would be the number 1 best airline in Nigeria if not for its somewhat recurring incidents and near-accidents.
6. Overland Airways
This is an airline that operates from Ikeja, Lagos state. Specifically, the airline operates from the Murtala Muhammed International airport although it also has a hub at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. Overland Airways began operation in Nigeria in 2002. Aside from Lagos and Abuja, the airline flies to 8 other destinations and it has a fleet size of 9 aircrafts. Since 2002 when the airline started operating, there haven’t been any major incidents.
7. Max Air
Max Air which was launched in 2008 is a renowned airline in Nigeria for international and domestic flights. The airline has its main hub at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano with a fleet size of 6 aircrafts. Max Air is one of the best airlines in Nigeria to use if you’re flying between Kano, Abuja, and Lagos. Nevertheless, the airline flies to 4 other domestic locations and 2 international locations. Notably, Max Air offers some of the best in-flight services.
8. Azman Air
Here’s another best airline in Nigeria that’s based in Kano state and also with a hub at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano. Azman Air was launched in 2010 and the airline covers 11 destinations. In many ways, the airline is very similar to Max Air most especially their in-flight services. Using Azman Air, you can fly to and fro Abuja, Asaba, Benin, Lagos, Maiduguri, Owerri, and Port Harcourt amongst other destinations. Only 1 incident had happened with this airline in over 10 years of operating.
9. Med-View Airline
Med-View Airline operates mainly from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos state. This airline has been operating since 2004 and it has a relatively small fleet of just 4 aircrafts. At first, it was used only for Hajj flights for Muslims traveling to Mecca but around 2012, it became available for any passenger. You can fly with Med-View Airline to about 13 destinations within and outside Nigeria. You can fly to Dubai, Senegal, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Guinea, and Ivory Coast.
10. Allied Air
Last on this list of best airlines in Nigeria 2021 is Allied Air. This is a cargo airline. In other words, it doesn’t carry actual passengers but instead goods from one destination to another. The airline was launched in 1998 and it has 4 fleets. It operates from Lagos from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and delivers cargo locally and internationally. Allied Air had a plane crash in 2012.
Conclusion
Now, you know which airline is the best airline in Nigeria 2021. Most Nigerian airlines are renowned for canceled and delayed flights. Even the best ones do this sometimes. Therefore, you should endeavor to book your flights a couple of days ahead of the day you need to be in your destination. That way, you can easily adjust if there’s any change.