By Victoria Adonye Ibiama
The escalation of airfares across domestic routes in Nigeria has triggered a significant decline in passenger traffic, evident in the dwindling numbers observed at airport terminals nationwide.
Airports such as Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos (MMA2), General Aviation Terminal (GAT), Lagos, and the local airport terminal in Abuja, witness sparse crowds as fewer passengers are processed for travel.
The prevailing situation paints a picture where arriving passengers outnumber departing ones, reflecting the adverse effect of soaring airfares on travel demand.
Airlines operating within the domestic market are grappling with the challenges posed by dwindling patronage resulting from the exorbitant cost of air travel.
Speaking anonymously, an airline staff lamented the stark reality, describing the past two weeks as particularly challenging. Despite efforts to incentivize travel, such as flight delays and cooperative arrangements among airlines to share passengers and costs, filling up aircraft remains a daunting task.
A one-way economy class ticket from Lagos to Abuja, which previously cost around N55,000, has skyrocketed to between N100,000 to N150,000 on Air Peace, N90,000 to N160,000 on United Nigerian Airlines, N70,000 to N130,000 on Dana Air, and N170,000 to N200,000 on Ibom Air.
The astronomical rise in airfares poses a significant barrier to air travel for many Nigerians, impacting various sectors reliant on robust transportation networks for economic activities and social interactions.
As stakeholders grapple with the implications of exorbitant airfares, concerted efforts are required to address underlying factors contributing to the surge and explore sustainable solutions to ensure affordability and accessibility in domestic air travel.
