Ticket racketeering is currently gaining traction at most Nigerian airports, especially at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, where a one-way ticket out of the airport has skyrocketed to N250,000.
Many unsuspecting and desperate passengers are swindled by most of the airlines staff in connivance with airport touts to intentionally hoard air tickets and sell such to highest bidding travelers at the terminal in the last moments of departing flight.
Also, investigations revealed that rather for these touts to allow air travelers pay across the counters, using the airlines Point of Sales (PoS) machines, they fraudulently produce private PoS machines to passengers to make payment.
Investigations indicated that this heinous act is happening regularly at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), and the Murtala Muhammed Airport Two (MMA2), all in Lagos.
Further investigations also revealed that this dastardly act in connivance with some airlines staff is being carried out by airport cleaners, trolley staff, airport staff and others.
The number of touts and touting activities have continued to be on the rise at the nation’s airports despite the efforts of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) of riding the airports of such.
It is extremely difficult for air travelers to secure seats in most of the domestic airlines to major routes in the country 48 hours to scheduled flight as the seats are blocked by touts and some airline staff.
Searches on the booking portals of some of the indigenous airlines usually indicate that most of the tickets are either ‘sold out’, or only have one or three seats available 48 hours before departure, which prompted desperate travelling passengers to patronise touts at the airports.
At MMA2 on Saturday, Daily Independent observed that touts within the terminal approached unsuspecting passengers for the procurement of air tickets.
It was observed that a one-way ticket from Lagos to Abuja for passengers travelling the same day, cost between N220,000 and N250,000, depending on who accosted you and your bargaining power.
It was observed that the touts working closely with some of the airlines staff would get a code for payment, using a private PoS machine for a willing passenger.
Also, some of the passengers who bought Aero Contractors and Arik Air tickets at the exorbitant rates for flight on Saturday, could still not travel as planned as the two airlines canceled their evening flights to Abuja.
Some of them were re-scheduled for Sunday morning by the two airlines.
One of the affected passengers who gave her name as Mrs. Taiwo Abdulkadir, in an interview with Daily Independent at the GAT, lamented that touting activities in collusion with some airline staff was on the increase.
According to Abdulkadir, who was unable to secure ticket through the portal of one of the major airlines, had come to the airport to buy a one-way ticket to Abuja, but was introduced to one of the touts by an unnamed airline staff.
She explained that the tout had offered to sell the ticket to her at N250,000, but not with the airline’s PoS machine, but a private machine without traceable name.
She expressed surprise how the touts were able to gain entrance into the departure terminal of the airport, warning that if not quickly nipped in the bud, standards would continue to drop in the industry.
She said: “Touts in connivance with airline staff are defrauding passengers and selling tickets at N250,000. The touts are at the two domestic terminals of Lagos, including MMA2.
“The touts buy tickets online, hold on to reservations and sell at exorbitant prices to desperate passengers. The question is how did they get access to the terminals without the consent of the airlines staff?
“Some of the passengers even bought the tickets at N250,000, yet the airlines canceled their flights and the passengers were unable to fly. Aero Contractors, Arik Air all canceled Saturday flights and rescheduled them till Sunday.
“MMA2 being a private terminal, also has touts and this is disheartening. The touts are everywhere in the terminal building. The airlines staff give the touts some booking codes. Everything is bastardised at the airport.”
Also, the touts are not using the Point of Sales (PoS) machines of the airlines, rather, they will bring a private PoS machine for passengers to pay in.
Another passenger said on Sunday that the two major terminals at Lagos, GAT and MMA2, are now full of chaos due to touting activities.
A traveler, Adekunle Aregbesola, also told Daily Independent that he was unable to buy a ticket for his Monday flight out of Lagos to Abuja, a situation, which prompted him to drive to GAT for counter purchase.
Aregbesola alleged that one of the airline’s staff directed him to a young man within the terminal after telling him about inadequate seat.
Surprisingly, he said he was able to buy a ticket at N245,000 to Abuja for Monday flight.
He, like Mrs. Abdulkadir, suspected foul play and called on the respective authorities to put this in check before the current ticket racketeering rocking the railways creeps into the aviation sector.
FAAN had in late June 2024, announced the setting up of a joint task force to address the increasing spate of touts and touting activities at the nation’s airports.
The joint task force comprised Aviation Security (AVSEC) personnel, a department in FAAN and Air Force.
