With less than one week to Christmas and two weeks to New Year celebrations, airfare on the South East routes has hit the roof, as return tickets sell for over N700,000.
LEADERSHIP’s visits to the websites of Air Peace, United Nigeria Airline, Ibom Air, Arik and Aero Contractor showed that ticket fares to the Southeast states were extremely high.
The affected states are Anambra, Enugu Owerri, and Port Harcourt in the South South region of Nigeria.
The above-mentioned routes are expensive because they are predominantly Christian states, where the
Yuletide season is well celebrated by travellers who return home to be with their kinsmen and families.
Also, due to insecurity and fear of being kidnapped or attacked, passengers see air travel as the safest means of reuniting with their loved ones during yuletide.
However, while the airfares on the other routes are relatively low, the South East routes, which will experience heavier traffic, are high and outrightly out of reach of most.
For instance, a return ticket on United Nigerian Airline from Lagos to Anambra goes for N700,000, while Abuja to Owerri flight on the same airline goes for N550,000.
The Outbound Lagos-Enugu route on 26 December costs N400,000, while a return inbound Lagos route on Friday 3rd January costs N95,000.
On December 24, one-way tickets on United Nigeria Airline from Lagos to Port Harcourt will cost N200,000, while one-way tickets from Lagos to Owerri are already sold out from December 20th to December 31st, 2024.
However, an Air Peace Airlines flight to Anambra State during this period costs N672,900. On the airline’s website, passengers are to pay N285,800 for Lagos to Anambra, while it is N387,100 for the return leg.
On the same Air Peace, a return ticket for Lagos-Enugu goes for N571,600 while Lagos-Imo goes for N666,900.
A one-way ticket on Ibom Air from Lagos to Uyo costs N152,700, a relatively low price compared to the South East routes.
Experts have argued that the high prices on the Southeast routes are expected, as demand for seats is high. This spike in airfares has led many passengers to seek more affordable alternatives.
LEADERSHIP’s checks reveal that the high airfares have prompted travellers on the Anambra, Owerri, and Enugu routes to switch from air travel to road transportation.
Despite rising fuel prices affecting road transport as well, many travellers prefer buses or shared vehicles due to their lower costs and greater availability.
Transport operators report a noticeable decline in passenger numbers, attributing this trend to the high cost of travel. Some companies have adjusted their services, offering shared rides in unregistered vehicles as a cheaper option, although safety concerns persist.
As the holiday season approaches, the shift from air to road travel is expected to continue as families look for cost-effective ways to reunite.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP, the general secretary, Aviation Round Table Initiative (ARTI), Olumide Ohunayo, said the present airfare is not permanent as it went up due to the yuletide.
“There are flying seasons and one of them is the Christmas season and summer. During these periods, ticket prices are astronomical and that’s why people book and pay ahead. They ensure they don’t miss their flights because if they miss, they will pay dearly for it.
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“The price we are seeing now is driven by demand, so it’s a seasonal thing and you won’t see this fare in January unless from those coming from Lagos that want to join any available flight. If you are coming from the East or South South to Lagos, you won’t pay this huge fare.
“It’s a seasonal thing and once there is demand, price will jump up, and irrespective of the fare, people will travel home to celebrate with their people and that’s what we are seeing. The truth is, it’s not permanent because it’s seasonal,” Ohunayo argued.
For his part, the chief executive officer, Dees Travel and Tour Limited, Daisi Olotu, attributes the hike to a lack of capacity, competition and passengers on the route.
According to him, Abuja routes have more passenger capacity and airlines compete with affordable prices on the route.
“Most of the time, it is a question of demand and supply; demand and supply on the Abuja route is better, but how many passengers are going towards the South Eastern part of the country? So, there is less capacity to meet their demands. The challenge is that there are fewer people flying and if there are not many, that will lead to delay of passengers as compared with the Abuja route.
“Now, how many people and airlines are flying these routes? And when they know they are the only ones flying the route, they will hike their price because they know there is no competition on the route.
“You know, airlines are looking for every way to make money and if naira should appreciate, everything will come down, including flight tickets,” Olotu stated.
He also advocated for more airlines, saying that would enhance healthy competition and reduce prices.
“We need more capacity in the aviation sector. Air Peace is the major airline. Aero Contractor is gasping for breath and it’s tough for the airlines to maintain their aircraft and make it airworthy. Fare is expensive; they can’t help it because fuel, suppliers and fixing spare parts are in foreign currencies,” he added.
