Airfares for local travel from Lagos to major cities such as Abuja, Enugu, among others, has surged by up to 100 percent as more Nigerians book tickets ahead of the Yuletide holiday.
The spike in airfares has shocked a lot of local travelers as they are told that the reason for the increase in ticket prices is due to the devaluation of the naira.
Findings show that an Air Peace economy class ticket flight scheduled to take off on Thursday, 10th December, from Lagos to Abuja, costs as high as N100,528; while a flight from Maiduguri to Lagos costs around N128,467.
Similarly, a return ticket between Lagos and Benin costs around N120,000.
A flight from Lagos to Enugu departing on the 17th to return on the 30th sold for as high as N170, 699, according to checks from Travel Stats.
Some airlines such as Max Air and Aero Contractors, respectively, attributed the sudden hike in fare to changes in the exchange rate.
According to the statement from Mr. Kehinde Ogunyale, the station Manager of Max Air, the Airline increased the fare due to the Dollar to Naira exchange rate and the increase in demand for tickets.
Also, Mr. Abdulmalik Jibreel of Aero Contractors explained that the high demand for tickets during this period necessitated the increase in fare, coupled with the Dollar to Naira exchange volatility.
Some airlines also reported earlier in the year that the Federal Airports Authority (FAAN) had increased Passenger Service Charges by as much as a 100% starting August 1.
