Chinedu Eze
There are sturdy indications that home airways will introduce outrageous airfares as Christmas vacation approaches, a improvement that’s already creating panic amongst home air travellers.
This occurs yearly as Christmas vacation has turn into the best season of the 12 months when many Nigerians journey to their houses of origin to have a good time the Yuletide and the New Year with their kin.
Airlines over the years have a tendency to extend the price of tickets to locations such as Port Harcourt, Benin, Calabar, Owerri, Enugu, Warri, Asaba, Anambra, and even different locations within the South West like Akure and Ibadan.
Road journey has turn into much less engaging on account of insecurity and the truth that some important street infrastructure linking the South East and the South West from different elements of the nation are dilapidated. This, many believed, would enhance the variety of people who journey by air and as demand will increase, the worth of air tickets can even enhance.
Reports point out that the best price of flight ticket from Lagos to many of the South East vacation spot in the course of the Christmas season of 2025 was about N499, 998 for one-way economic system ticket; whereas return journeys on associated South East festive routes exceeded N700, 000.
Also, in the course of the Christmas season of 2024, peak flight ticket costs from Lagos to Owerri and different South East locations reached N450, 000 to 500, 000 for single one-way economic system ticket.
The excessive price of airfares appeared to have pitted airways towards travellers who complained bitterly towards the astronomical rise in fares. Many of the travellers questioned why fares to South East and South South locations had been so excessive, however airways defined and insisted that it merely adopted the regulation of demand and provide.
However, there are indications that fares my not enhance as it did within the final two years as a result of there are extra gamers available in the market.
Since 2024, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has registered 4 information airways and these embody Enugu Air, Binani Air, 3 Horizons Nigeria Limited and MCM Jets Limited. These are along with the comparatively new entrants like Xejet, ValueJet, which have operated for about 4 years. In addition, some airways have added extra plane of their fleet and these embody Air Peace, United Nigeria Airlines, Ibom Air, ValueJet, Cally Air (operated by ValueJet) and Aero Contractors.
These additions could imply that there could be extra seats to serve air travellers and when provide is assembly demand, value is tamed.
THISDAY spoke to the picture maker of Air Peace, Mr. Osifo-Whiskey Efe, who mentioned that the airline has not elevated fares since August and the airline has not obtained any studies towards its fares, which implies travellers are okay with the fares.
“We have maintained the same fares since August and this is November. However, I know that at some point it may change but so far, so good,” he mentioned.
However, talking on behalf of United Nigeria, Chibuike Uloka, informed THISDAY that with extra airways, it’s true there will probably be competitors however there’s all the time competitors available in the market, noting that extra entrants available in the market can’t assure decrease fares.
“There has all the time been competitors within the aviation market, even earlier than the latest entrants. While extra airways are becoming a member of the business, I don’t essentially see this translating into considerably decrease fares in the course of the Christmas season. The actuality is that festive-season pricing is basically pushed by demand, operational prices and the peculiar journey sample throughout that interval. Airlines will not be going to function at a loss merely to draw passengers, significantly when they’re nonetheless attempting to determine themselves available in the market.
“Christmas journey, particularly to the South-East and South-South, is basically a one-way visitors phenomenon. Airlines could have passengers flying into these locations in giant numbers, however the probability of returning with considerably fewer passengers, and even working near-empty flights, is excessive. That imbalance needs to be factored into their pricing.
“Ultimately, I believe the issue goes beyond competition. The bigger challenge is the high cost of airline operations. Until those costs come down, increased competition alone may not deliver the significant reduction in the airfares during the festive-season that many passengers are hoping for,” Uloka mentioned.
Industry advisor and former Rector, the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, Capt. Samuel Caulcrick, informed THISDAY that in a wholesome market, elevated competitors (extra airways) drives costs down. However, in Nigeria, airways will not be competing on effectivity; they’re struggling towards crushing systemic prices that set up a really excessive “price floor” beneath which they can not legally or operationally survive.
He famous that prime price of capital, heavy taxation, and a extreme shortage of overseas alternate imply that merely including extra home airways to the Nigerian airspace is not going to drive down ticket costs—particularly in the course of the December peak season when demand surges in a single route.
Speaking in the identical vein, the Executive Secretary, Aviation Round Table (ART), Olu Fidel Ohunayo, famous that competitors among the many airways wouldn’t convey down the fares in the course of the interval but it surely could possibly be higher than what occurred final 12 months.
Ohunayo mentioned there needs to be extra environment friendly use of the services on the airports; to have them open past 6:00 pm in the course of the peak season. He mentioned that if the airports function into the evening, it could allow extra airways to convey passengers within the evening. This will assist to get rid of flight cancellations, particularly to the Eastern locations.
He expressed happiness on the decision of the protracted deadlock between the federal authorities and Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), the operators of MMA2, expressing hope that the terminal will open extra ramp area for extra airways to board passengers on the terminal.
