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By Chinelo Obogo
Cost of purchasing economy flight tickets for travellers who are returning from the Yuletide celebrations have continued to fluctuate, as prices now range from between N55,000 and N110,000 depending on the route, Daily Sun can reveal.
In the week preceding the Christmas celebrations, domestic airlines recorded a spike in ticket sales with a source in Air Peace telling Daily Sun that the airline experienced up to 50 percent increase in over-the-counter sales of tickets and almost 100 percent load factor for many of its routes especially in the South East.
From December 20th, a one-way economy ticket from Lagos to Anambra was sold for between N100, 000 and N120, 000 on United Nigeria Airline, while a one way flight to Enugu from Lagos cost same amount. The cost of a one way ticket from Lagos to Anambra cost N100, 000 on an Air Peace flight for Saturday, December 24, while the same class of ticket cost N100, 000 to Asaba.
However, as travellers begin returning this month, the cost of economy tickets for similar routes as sold in December have either dropped or remained the same depending on the route.
For United Nigeria, economy ticket from Anambra to Lagos for Tuesday, January 10th remains the same at N110,000 and Anambra to Abuja, Saturday. January 7 cost N110,000.
Tickets from Asaba to Lagos for Tuesday, January 10 on the same airline cost N62,500 for Thursday, January 12, while for Monday, January 9, the price dropped to N55,000 and Monday, January 9, the price spiked to N75,000 and on Wednesday, January 11, it dropped to N62,500 but on Sunday, January 15th it climbed to N85,000
For Dana Air, economy flight tickets from Port Harcourt to Lagos ranges between N70,000 and N80,000, while on Overland, economy flights from Ilorin to Lagos dropped to N47,000 for January 10 but for Jalingo to Abuja for same day remains at N70,000. Airlines had earlier warned passengers to expect flight delays and cancellations during the yuletide and into January as scarcity of aviation fuel has worsened.
Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, who is the spokesman of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), said the impending disruptions in scheduled flight operations is due to the scarcity of aviation fuel, otherwise known as JET-A1, which worsened in the past few days. He said the scarcity will force airlines to reschedule flights leading to late operations and cancellations.
To solve the problem of scarcity, the Federal government has been urged to get involved in the provision and availability of aviation fuel in a bid to save the airlines operational cost.
Former Rector, Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, Captain Samuel Caulcrick, said in an interview recently that if the government can make special reserve for the Air Force, it should do same for the airlines in the new year.
”Also, when it comes to Jet A1, the government doesn’t want to get involved, but I think the government should get involved in Jet A1, not as an importer. The government has Jet A1 reserve for the Air Force because of security. So, the Air Force cannot rely on suppliers for Jet A1 to fly their jets. Government should be able to look into that reserve at times to save the commercial sector especially when the scarcity of the product is alarming or if there is a price hike and the government wants to subsidise it.
”The government can call the fuel marketers and buy the product off them and sell at subsidised rate for the airlines. This is necessary because the government is taking money back from every airline that flies because the airlines are paying charges.
”Definitely with this, the government would make its money back because if they don’t fly, the government cannot make money. For every hour the airlines fly, the government gets some money too, which would have been zero if they don’t fly. So, the government has to be very flexible,” he said.
