Nigeria fare Hike: Flying is for the rich in Nigeria

It seems there will be no reprieve soon for Nigeria's long suffering air travellers. Last month, airlines in Nigeria hiked fares to as much as $190 for a 1 hour flight due to the skyrocketing prices of aviation fuels that are said to be controlled by greedy cartels.

The domestic aviation sector, according to a report, continued its five-year journey of low profit margins, which rallied at an estimated five percent. It stated: “Aviation fuel alone accounted for an estimated 40-50 percent of airlines’ operating costs in 2010. Earnings were further stunted by huge debt burdens to regulators, service providers, suppliers and financial institutions.

Reports Nigerian News Services

"Air travellers are flying into trouble everyday, and this is not just about turbulence. By Tuesday, the average air fare had risen to N28,000($175) for one hour flight. Those travelling to popular destinations such as the well-known “triangle” – Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt – could be subjected to arbitrary increase in fares by the airlines. A passenger who purchased a ticket by noon for N28,000 may have saved N3,000($19), compared to another passenger who purchased a similar ticket to the same destination one hour later at N31,000.($200)

 

But despite the fact that many air travellers might have resorted to travelling by road, passengers still crowd the terminals of the major airports jostling for tickets, a situation that seemed to have sharpened the rapacity of the airlines, who are surprised they still record high load factor in spite of the fares."

Nigerian Passengers will continue losing their money and comfort as airlines continue to rip off passengers for poor services. Fares are expected to increase to $250 for 1 hour flight in the next three weeks. For now, road transport will be a very attractive mode of travel for most Nigerians.