How aircraft financing, insurance costs, others weigh down airlines — Okonkwo

Professor Obiora Okonkwo, spokesperson for the Airline Operators of Nigeria, highlighted the challenges faced by airline operators, including aircraft acquisition, high insurance costs, and infrastructure deficits. At the IATA Focus Africa 2026 conference in Addis Ababa, he stated that current rules are skewed against operators, who do not benefit from favorable conditions for aircraft purchase and leasing. Okonkwo also expressed that operators are struggling under the weight of costs while original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are making substantial profits.