Domestic airlines risk N6.6bn on 25-day Owerri Airport closure
Nigeria’s domestic airlines face a staggering N6.6 billion revenue threat following the announced 25-day shutdown of the Sam Mbakwe International
The Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport in Owerri is a key gateway for Imo State and the wider South-East, serving passengers who would otherwise travel long hours by road to Lagos, Abuja, or Port Harcourt to fly. Periodic runway rehabilitation and infrastructure works have repeatedly forced temporary closures at the airport in recent years, a pattern seen at several other Nigerian airports as the government tries to upgrade ageing facilities without always providing airlines or travellers much lead time.
The timing of this closure is significant because it falls within the busy end-of-year travel season, when demand from South-East-bound passengers typically peaks. Domestic carriers, already operating on thin margins due to high aviation fuel costs, forex pressures, and multiple regulatory charges, say the shutdown will force them to reroute or cancel Owerri flights, with the projected N6.6 billion revenue loss underscoring how disruptions at regional airports ripple through the industry's already strained finances. Coverage so far has focused on the financial exposure to airlines, with details on alternative arrangements for stranded passengers and the exact scope of the airport works yet to be fully reported.