Air Travellers Livid over Rising Cost of Tickets as Demand Heightens

Chinedu Eze

Air travellers are outraged about the accelerating increase in airfares since October, occasioned by the Christmas season, a development that has deprived many Nigerians from travelling by air this Yuletide season. 

Travellers told THISDAY that prices of flight tickets have risen beyond what many they can afford with deteriorating economy and shrinking disposable income.

Consequently, many Nigerians have resorted to travelling by road despite the poor road network in many parts and the country and the threat of insecurity.

For instance, a clearing and forwarding agent at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos who wanted to travel by air to Port Harcourt with his four children and wife, told THISDAY that it had become a tradition to travel to Port Harcourt from Lagos by air every Christmas.

He has been doing this for over 10 years, “But I cannot do the same thing this year because I cannot afford the airfares. In fact, the fares are far beyond my means now; so, I will have to look for alternative means because we must go home this Christmas.”

Also, a Lagos based businessman, Chief Iyk Manuba, told THISDAY that he could not reconcile the economic reality of the high fares, coming at a time many Nigerians are struggling to cope with essential needs.

“I find it challenging to comprehend the rationale behind the exorbitant local airfare in Nigeria. A one-hour trip can amount to as much as N150,000, presenting a disheartening reality that the average Nigerian struggles to afford. When juxtaposed against established retail business models, this pricing structure appears unsustainable. The observed impact manifests in flight delays and consolidations, seemingly driven by the intention to maximize passenger numbers. Please let certain business decisions have a human face,” he said.

However, sources at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos indicated that airfares have really increased but not as high as the fares are being reported on social media. Some of the fares circulated online seemed not to be in tandem with reality going by the published fares on domestic airline websites. Some online platform put fares from Lagos to Owerri, for example, as high as N400, 000.

As at Wednesday, December 13, 2023, the highest cost of ticket for economy class for one hour flight was N153, 000, while that of business class was N253, 000 and the fares were almost the same in Dana Air, Air Peace, Ibom Air and other domestic airlines.

A protocol official who books flights for some companies at the domestic terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, (MMA2), told THISDAY that fares start from N70, 000 and continue to rise till it peaked around N153 and suggested that fares would still increase as more travellers demand for flight tickets.

“Airfares across airlines are almost the same. This is because this is high season and there is surge in demand. Fares graduate from N70, 000, N80, 000 and from there, peak at over N150, 000 because there are a lot of passengers and the surprising thing is that more people are buying the tickets. As at this moment, all flight to domestic destinations are full,” he said.

But the Managing Director and CEO of Aero Contractors, Captain Ado Sanusi explained to THISDAY that what will tame the high fares will be the availability of more aircraft seats.

He added that without increase in fleet by airlines, demand will continue to overstretch supply and fares will continue to climb higher, aided by the weak naira, high exchange rate and high cost of aviation fuel.

He emphasised that there is no hope yet about aircraft leasing in Nigeria despite indications that the federal government might be willing to ensure that lessors recover their aircraft when there is default.

Sanusi said for Nigerian airlines to have access to new aircraft, government must be intentional about making funds available to Nigerian carriers through Bank of Industry or Manufacturing Bank.

“I keep hearing that aircraft manufacturers will help Nigerian airlines to lease aircraft. Aircraft manufacturers are not leasing companies. They are only interested in selling their products. Airbus may come and say the same thing. Embraer may come and say the same thing. But if we are intentional as a country, to make aircraft available we should work with Bank of Industry or manufacturing bank to make funds available and domesticate leasing.

“The banks will partner with international financiers and lessors, which will make the aircraft available. Aircraft are very costly equipment. For you to make them available there must be sovereign guarantee; so that funds that will be released for their lease can be managed through commercial banks. For this to be possible, there must be stability in the exchange rate. It is when all these are done that, we can hope to lease brand new aircraft.,” he said.

He also admitted that Boeing can bring out their product, facilitate a leasing company to come to Nigeria, “but there must be due diligence and there must be sovereign guarantee in case of default.”