THE GUARDIAN
Airfare hurdles await domestic travellers this festive season as local airlines have again doubled airfares on high-traffic seasonal routes.
The airfare that surged to an average of N100,000 per one-hour Economy flight ticket in October, has hit N200,000 for flights on the East and Southern routes. Its round-trip variant now sells for between N350,000 and almost half a million, subject to seat availability.
The Guardian learnt that the fresh spike is not unconnected with a high cost of operation, limited capacity, high demand that is typical of this period, and alleged exploitation.
Findings across the airlines, yesterday, showed that the average fare of N70,000 for a one-hour (one-way) flight in early October has increased to between N120,500, and N270,000, depending on the airline and time of booking.
On Air Peace, for instance, the Lagos-Anambra flight travel date, in the week ahead of Christmas, yesterday sold at N171,500 for one-way. After Christmas, it sells for an average of N66,900. Lagos-Enugu flight ranges between N123,900 and N266,800, one-way.
Lagos-Enugu flight on United Nigeria Airline (UNA) is competitive, ranging between N125,500 and N220,500 per seat. Lagos-Anambra on UNA also sold at between N142,500 and N200,000. Abuja-Anambra in United Nigeria ranged between N142,500 and N220,500.
Meanwhile, flights on the traditional routes of Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano remain in the range of N100,000, and N160,000
The Guardian earlier reported that the steady free-fall of the naira value to dollar would keep registering new odd records in the air transport sector. With aviation fuel now almost N1000/litre, operators cum travel agencies are in a pricing dilemma.
Amid a hike in the exchange rate, domestic carriers have since last year seen aviation fuel steadily rise by 400 per cent (in the last three years) and the cost of operations unbearable.
