Domestic airlines in Nigeria have increased ticket fares for local flights to N200,000 and above following the persistent rise in aviation fuel prices.
Checks across the websites of several airlines revealed fresh fare adjustments for one-hour one-way trips on major routes such as Lagos-Abuja and Lagos-Port Harcourt. The increases were introduced quietly without formal announcements from most operators.
Industry sources attributed the development to the soaring cost of Jet A1 fuel, which currently sells between N1,750 and N2,650 per litre depending on the airport location.
Airline operators under the umbrella of the Airline Operators of Nigeria had earlier warned that the continued rise in aviation fuel prices was placing severe pressure on their operations. They noted that while global crude oil prices recorded moderate increases, the cost of aviation fuel in Nigeria climbed far higher, worsening operational expenses.
Operators explained that they had absorbed the additional costs for weeks in a bid to keep flights running despite mounting debts, dwindling cash flow and foreign exchange challenges.
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On Ibom Air’s booking platform, a one-way Lagos-Abuja ticket, which sold for about N143,200 on Wednesday, increased to over N200,000 from Thursday. Lagos-Port Harcourt flights on the airline also rose to over N181,000.
United Nigeria Airlines listed Abuja-Lagos fares above N230,000, while Air Peace fixed its Lagos-Abuja one-way fare at nearly N193,000.
However, Aero Contractors and ValueJet were yet to adjust their fares as of the time of filing this report.
A source within one of the affected airlines said the increase became unavoidable due to the rising cost of fuel and other operational charges.
The spokesperson for United Nigeria Airlines, Chibuike Uloka, said airlines could no longer sustain operations through borrowing as fuel costs continued to rise.
