Lagos–Toronto Emerges Nigeria’s Busiest Aviation Long-Haul Routes

Passenger demand between Lagos and Toronto is surging, with new data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) revealing a sharp rise in traffic in 2024.

IATA stated that the route posted one of the strongest growth rates among Nigeria’s long-haul markets last year, strengthening arguments for future nonstop flight connections between the two cities.

Area Manager and Head of Account Management for West and Central Africa at IATA, Dr Samson Fatokun, made this known recently as a member of the panel of discussants at the 2025 FAAN National Aviation Conference (FNAC) in Lagos.

Fatokun said the sharp rise in traffic on routes such as Lagos–Toronto, Lagos–Manchester and Lagos–New York signalled increasing passenger demand that Nigerian airports and airlines should strategically harness.

He explained that several Nigerian routes appear prominently on global lists of unserved or underserved destinations, yet have strong commercial potential based on passenger movement patterns.

“Between 2023 and 2024, Lagos–Toronto traffic grew by 28 per cent. That is massive. Lagos–New York grew by 19 per cent. These numbers are not old; they are based on very recent origin-destination data,” he said.

Besides, Fatokun warned that Nigeria’s rising number of airports, including new concessioned and state-owned facilities, may struggle financially unless airport owners adopt robust and data-driven route development strategies.