Domestic airlines and travel agencies operating in Nigeria have increased prices of tickets to over 100percent to locations such as Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Asaba and Kano as Christmas approaches.
BusinessDay’s checks show that airlines tickets increased from 30,000 to 60,000 and above to some of the frequently flown destinations.
The reason for the surge is traceable to a big jump in the number of people planning air travels for the festive season.
Airlines have recoded full load factor to their most frequent destinations from 20th of December to 2nd of January already.
Travel agencies and airlines had earlier advised travellers to purchase their tickets before September 1st to guide against high ticket cost.
“Expectedly, Christmas periods are often the period when airlines recoup their costs. This is the busiest period for them. After the season, they may not have full load factor as they have today,” Tayo Ojuri, is an industry expert and Chief Executive Officer, Aglo Limited, an aviation support service said.
BusinessDay’s checks show that AirPeace return economy class ticket on the Lagos-Asaba, Abuja and Port Harcourt route, which previously cost below N30,000 a few weeks ago now costs N70,000 to N100,000.
However, there are no longer available seats for travellers who intend to travel to Asaba from 20th to 25th of December as already fully booked.
The same situation appears to be the case in other destinations as seats are no longer available for some dates in December.
A travel agency who craved anonymity told BusinessDay that some airlines deliberately removed their lesser classes of tickets, so it can sell the highest economy rate.
Also, the closure of Enugu airport for repairs is also putting strains on the travelling public.
Recalled that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) shut down Enugu airport for major repairs on 24th of August 2019 and with the new date of re-open, the airport will be shut down for eight months.
Since the closure, airlines have had to divert traffic to Port Harcourt, Owerri and Asaba airports.
While business owners around Enugu airport are experiencing low patronage this period, it seems to be a merry moment for business owners and airlines that operate into Port Harcourt, Owerri and Asaba airports.
Passengers appear to be the worst affected by the development as they are forced to either travel through the alternate airports or travel by road.
Some other passengers who spoke to BusinessDay said since the development, they have had to change their travel plans pending when the airport is ready as a result of incessant attacks, insecurity and the bad condition of the roads.
According to figures (FAAN), Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu is the sixth busiest airport in Nigeria after Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and Owerri. The airport processes an average of 273,000 local passengers and 41,000 passengers annually.
