The Traffic

Domestic Air Travellers Decry Soaring Ticket Prices Ahead of Christmas

Lagos, Nigeria — Domestic air travellers across the country are expressing outrage as ticket prices to Eastern destinations soar to record highs, with one-way tickets selling for as much as ₦350,000 and return tickets nearing ₦700,000.

Many travellers believe the steep hike is tied to the approaching Christmas season, a period when thousands of Nigerians return home, especially to the South-East and South-South, to reunite with their families.

Eastern Routes Worst Hit

Travellers accuse local airlines—particularly United Nigeria Airlines and Air Peace—of deliberately inflating fares to cities such as Port Harcourt, Calabar, Enugu, Owerri, Asaba, Warri, Benin, and Umueri (Anambra).

They argue that while ticket prices to Northern and Western cities remain relatively moderate, flights to the East almost always experience a surge in cost toward the end of the year.

“Every December it’s the same story. Going to Enugu or Owerri is like buying a ticket to London,” lamented a passenger at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos. “We are being exploited because they know people must travel home.”

Airlines Push Back

However, both United Nigeria Airlines and Air Peace have denied fixing fares for the Christmas season. They attributed the rising costs to early demand and the ticketing system, which sells in classes.

Chibuike Eloka, spokesman for United Nigeria Airlines, explained:

“Tickets are sold in classes depending on demand. Our cheapest tickets start from ₦90,000 to ₦135,000, but as passengers buy, the fares move to the next available class. Even during non-peak periods, last-minute bookings can be as high as ₦300,000.”

Similarly, Efe Osifo-Whiskey, spokesperson for Air Peace, maintained that fares rise dynamically across all airlines:

“Fares are not fixed. They rise according to demand. People are booking from across Nigeria and abroad—London, New York, and elsewhere—for Christmas trips. Once the cheaper classes sell out, prices rise automatically.”

Industry Experts Explain

Experts in the travel sector argue that the trend is consistent with global practices. Yinka Folami, President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), likened the surge to international summer travel patterns:

“This has always been the case. Just as summer is the high season for Europe, Christmas is high season for domestic travel in Nigeria. It’s a matter of demand and supply.”

Aviation analyst Amos Akpan agreed, noting that airlines use peak seasons to balance losses made during low-demand periods:

“Every business has high and low seasons. Airlines often fly half-empty planes in February or April, yet costs remain fixed. So, during peak seasons like Christmas, fares rise to make up for those lean periods. However, bad agents also exploit the system by hoarding tickets and reselling at inflated prices.”

He advised passengers to plan and book early:

“A December ticket bought in March would cost far less than one bought in November. Nigerians must begin to adopt advance planning for Christmas and Easter travel.”

Travel Agents Caution Against Market Volatility

Meanwhile, Mrs. Shalom Asuquo, Managing Director of Travel Lab Nigeria, highlighted another dimension: market volatility and exchange rate instability.

She recalled that two years ago, airlines lost heavily during Christmas as fluctuations in naira’s value disrupted their revenue streams.

“Ticket pricing is dynamic. It fluctuates with market forces, exchange rates, and demand. Unfortunately, the burden always falls on the passengers,” she said.

The Bottom Line

As the yuletide approaches, many Nigerians are left grappling with the reality of paying near-international prices for local flights. While airlines defend the hikes as a natural outcome of demand and supply, passengers view them as exploitative seasonal practices.

The message from industry experts is clear: early booking remains the only way to beat the Christmas airfare surge.

By Haruna Yakubu Haruna