Air Peace leads Nigeria’s airline fleet with 37 aircraft, more than double any other operator

Key Takeaways

  • Air Peace operates the largest fleet with 37 aircraft, combining its mainline and subsidiary, Air Peace Hopper.
  • Arik Air and Max Air follow distantly with 14 and 10 aircraft respectively, less than half of Air Peace’s combined fleet.
  • Only 5 airlines operate fleets of 8 or more aircraft, highlighting a significant concentration of operational strength at the top.
  • Over one-third of the listed airlines (7 out of 20) operate with fleets of just 4 aircraft or fewer.

As of May 2025, Air Peace leads Nigeria’s aviation sector with a fleet size of 37 aircraft. This includes both its mainline operations and its regional subsidiary, Air Peace Hopper. This consolidated figure places the airline far ahead of its closest competitor, Arik Air, which operates 14 aircraft. The dominance is further underscored when compared with the rest of the field. Only Max Air and Ibom Air come close to the top tier, operating 10 and 9 aircraft respectively, while all others fall below those numbers.

Fleet size distribution reveals a steep drop after the top few. Overland Airways (8), IRS Airlines (7), and a few others hold mid-tier positions, while a large portion of airlines maintain lean operations, many with fleets as small as 1 or 2 aircraft. This fragmented landscape shows that aside from a few strong operators, the Nigerian airline industry is heavily populated by smaller players, with over 35% of carriers managing no more than 4 aircraft.

Source:

Planepotters

Period:

May 2025
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