Turkish Airlines still sells tickets in naira - NANTA

The National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) has said that Turkish Airlines is still selling tickets in naira.

This clarification follows reports on some media platforms alleging that the airline’s passengers in Nigeria will now purchase tickets in dollars.

Susan Akporiaye, president of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) who said the report is not entirely true explained that the airline sells only the highest inventory of tickets in Nigeria and this class of tickets is still available in naira.

Akporiaye explained that almost all foreign airlines in Nigeria stopped selling lower ticket inventories to reduce the number of their trapped funds in Nigeria, leaving only the highest inventories.

She said for Turkish airlines, the tickets are sold in naira but have to be bought in the airline’s offices.

She however explained that passengers who decide to buy low ticket inventories on Turkish Airlines’ website will have to pay with their dollar cards.

“Since airlines in Nigeria stopped selling lower inventories of tickets, passengers have been forced to buy higher inventories in naira. No airline will force anyone to pay for tickets in dollars because it is against the law of Nigeria.

So to cushion the effect of their trapped funds, Turkish airlines, like others, blocked all low-class inventories. If passengers insist on buying low ticket inventories from the airline’s foreign website, then they have to use their dollar cards to buy the tickets. All ticket sales in Turkish Airlines’ offices are done in naira,” the NANTA president explained.

The airline’s message to its partners reads;

“Dear business partner, kindly be informed that as of today only C and Y Fare classes will be available on Global Distribution System (GDSs) for sale in Nigeria. Unused tickets will be upgraded to Y or C Class for voluntary reissue cases, and fare and tax differences shall be collected for inbound and outbound travel.

“Multi-City routes will not be combined with fares. All fare classes will be available for sale on Turkish Airlines official website and mobile app. Please kindly inform your subagents, members of staff and your clients accordingly.”

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.