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By Chinelo Obogo [email protected]
Domestic airlines are making a killing with increasing passenger traffic this Christmas season haveing hiked flight flight tickets to unprecedented rates.
As at the last count, cost of a one-way economy ticket on a 7am Air Peace flight from Lagos to Owerri for Saturday, December 24, had risen to N120, 000, while a 6.50am one way flight to Enugu from Lagos was sold for same amount on economy ticket. The cost of a one way ticket from Lagos to Anambra was N100, 000 on an Air Peace flight for Saturday, December 24, while the same class of ticket cost N100, 000 to Asaba.
For Ibom Air, the cost of a one-way economy ticket from Lagos to Enugu for 8.50am cost N130, 000, while for United Nigeria, a one way economy ticket from Lagos to Anambra costs N110, 000 for Monday, December 26.
To get a one way economy ticket on Dana Air for December 24 from Lagos to Owerri, cost N85, 000, while Lagos to Enugu costs N90, 000 for the same class of tickets. Green Africa tickets cost N69, 500 from Lagos to Enugu for Saturday, December 24, while Arik Air flight to Owerri on Sunday, December 25, costs N95, 500.
The spokesperson of Dana Airline, Kingsley Ezenwa, told Daily Sun that passenger traffic has increased significantly despite the high cost of tickets with most flights fully booked. A staff of Air Peace also confirmed to Daily Sun that the airline also recorded increased passenger traffic with as much as 95 and 100 percent load factor on many of the South East routes.
Chairman of National Association of Air Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), Arik Air Chapter, Mudi Muhammad, told Daily Sun, that : “Generally, this is a festive period where people travel to meet their families and this is the reason passenger traffic increased. I travelled to Kebbi and just returned and that route has improved tremendously. We have been having full capacity.
Our Maiduguri route has also improved as we now have up to 70 percent load factor. More routes are being created out of Abuja like the Owerri and Ilorin routes and these routes are really doing well. The same goes our Sokoto routes as well.”
However, some airlines have opted to help passengers with lower cost of flight. For instance, United Nigeria Airlines introduced installment payment for tickets that will boost the capacity of passengers to fly the airline at a minimal cost. The new payment system, known as Pay Small Small (PSS), will allow passengers to plan for their trips through installment payments for tickets.
The airline said the PSS service “will be available for all United Nigeria Airlines passengers and will give them access to great travel deals, allowing them to lock down the best prices by paying as little as 25 percent of the total cost as down payment and splitting the balance into convenient installments from 24hrs to 6 months, starting from 18th November 2022. PSS service is very straightforward, with no credit checks or scrutiny necessary.”
The Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, said the airline will do its best to offer clients opportunities that will make traveling seamless for them. According to him “we are continually looking for opportunities and collaborations that will foster innovation, happiness, and convenience for our loyal customer base”.
The alternative to travelling by air is the road option but checks reveal that cost of travelling by road has also increased. On the website of GUO Motors, a trip to Enugu from Lagos with a Sienna car, nows costs N27,500 for an adult and N20,600 for a child, while a trip with a Hiace bus costs N24,500 for an adult and N18,375 for a child.
On God is Good Motors website, a trip to Anambra from Lagos cost with a Hiace bus cost N22,700, while a trip to Enugu, costs N24,900. A trip with ABC transport to Aba on a 52-seater bus cost sN19,500, while with Chisco Motors, a trip to Owerri with a Sienna car or Hiace bus cost N20,900.
Flight delays, cancellations
Besides increase in passenger traffic which is usually expected during the festive period, the high cost of flight tickets may be attributed to scarcity of aviation fuel as domestic airlines have warned passengers to expect flight delays and cancellations as a result.
Okonkwo, who is the spokesman of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), the umbrella body of scheduled and non-scheduled domestic operators, said the disruptions in scheduled flight operations is due to the scarcity of aviation fuel, otherwise known as JET-A1, which has worsened in the past few days. He said the scarcity will force airlines to reschedule flights leading to late operations and cancellations.
He said the scarcity will no doubt force airlines to reschedule flights leading to late operations and, or, cancellations and that the unintended development is a pain on airline operators and a stain on the industry especially at this time of mass movement of people for the Christmas and New Year festivities.
‘While we do our utmost best to manage the situation and ensure safe flight operations, we plead the understanding of the traveling public in the circumstance. We also call on the concerned authorities including product importers and marketers to do their best to resolve this ugly situation so as to ease the stress it brings on the travelling public. As Airline Operators, we remain committed to doing all that is necessary to ensure seamless services and safe air travels in our dear country,” Okonkwo said.
