The rusting remains of several aircraft at Benin City Airport, Edo State, continue to serve as a reminder of Nigeria’s once-thriving aviation industry and the rise and fall of the famous Okada Air.
Owned by renowned businessman and the Esama of Benin, Gabriel Igbinedion, Okada Air was one of Nigeria’s largest private airlines in the 1980s and 1990s. Popularly known as the “Airline of the Nation,” the carrier gained widespread patronage due to its affordable fares and extensive flight operations across the country.
Many of the abandoned aircraft are BAC 1-11 jets, a British-made twin-engine aircraft that became a familiar sight in Nigeria’s skies during the airline’s peak years.
The airline’s fortunes declined after it was grounded by aviation authorities in 1997 over reported safety and maintenance concerns. Industry reports indicate that the airline never recovered from the shutdown, as mounting maintenance, insurance and parking costs left many of its aircraft stranded.
Today, several of the aging planes remain at Benin Airport despite previous efforts to clear the site. The abandoned aircraft have become a symbolic reminder of Nigeria’s aviation boom-and-bust era and the ambitious private investments that once transformed air travel in the country.
For many Nigerians, the aircraft graveyard stands as both a monument to past achievements and a reflection of the challenges that have shaped the nation’s aviation sector over the decades.
