Nigerian airlines have significantly increased their minimum base fares to as high as N200,000 and more for one-way tickets.
The hike in airfares by almost 100 per cent, The Guardian gathered is unrelated to the continued rise in the price of aviation fuel, otherwise known as Jet A1.
Searches on the portals of the airlines indicated that the upward review in ticket prices cut across most of the airlines, except a few who were yet to review their airfares as of the time of filing this report.
Aviation fuel currently sells at about N2,650 per litre at some airports across the country.
Checks revealed that United Nigeria Airlines has fixed its minimum base fare at N200,000 per flight, irrespective of route, while Air Peace adjusted its fares upward to about N211,600 for one-way tickets.
Also, Ibom Air increased its base fare to about N200,300, while Arik Air still maintained N113,000 and N114,000 per flight from Abuja to Lagos.
Also, Aero Contractors retained between N123,127 and N146,702 for selected routes, while ValueJet stands at between N118,571 and N132,857 per flight for a flight to Abuja from Lagos.
Industry sources said the fare increase became inevitable as operators battle rising operational costs and dwindling cash flow.
An official of one of the airlines, who did not want to be quoted because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, said the airlines decided after extensive consultations and careful consideration of prevailing economic realities.
The source, however, dismissed that the airlines reviewed the airfares in unison upward, maintaining that the individual decided to do so.
The source said: “We have adjusted our minimum fares to a minimum of N200,000 per flight, irrespective of the route. This is something we have done with a lot of pain and after serious consideration of many factors.
“We cannot continue to subsidise travellers with the current situation of JetA1. Without the adjustment, there will be a serious crisis in the industry. Cash flows have run out and debts are mounting.”
The source appealed to the travelling public for understanding, insisting that the increase was unavoidable to ensure the survival of domestic airlines.
“It is a painful decision, but we cannot continue to bury our heads in the sand,” the source added.
The Federal Government had earlier promised intervention measures to cushion the impact of rising aviation fuel prices on operators, but as of Tuesday, the government had yet to take any step on the issue.
Credit: Guardian
