The Chairman of the United Nigerian Airline and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Prof Obiora Okonkwo has said shortage of aircraft is responsible for the high cost of air tickets in the country.
Okonkwo said he had warned that the surge in the cost of aviation fuel, access to foreign exchange and high interest rates would worsen the situation in the sector.
The AON Chair said this in an interview on Arise Tv, where he insisted that the government is “sucking us (airline operators) dry” with deductions.
Traveling by air has become a luxury in Nigeria as ticket prices have gone out of reach of the average people.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the average fare paid by air passengers for specified routes single journey was N89,432.43 in May 2024, showing an increase of 19.32 per cent from N74,948.78 in May 2023.
But Okonkwo explained that the aviation industry believe strongly that flying is an economic life and engine of a country and not a luxury.
He said, “What you have seen happening in recent times is just my prediction happening. Sometimes, when there were skyrocketing prices of aviation fuel and foreign exchange, I said it will result in a situation when there will be more aircraft on the ground than those flying because accessing funds to maintain them will be difficult and it becomes an issue of demand and supply.
“We now have fewer aircraft to service the larger number of people who are flying. You will bring the pressure to the cost. However, I can also assure you that we have been as reasonable as possible in the cost because, in aviation, it is not what you sell a single ticket that brings your profit.
Obiora said Nigeria has the highest number of aviation charges adding “we the local operators are victims on a daily basis.”
He said every ticket sold by airlines have about 22 deductions.
“Some of them are repetitions. We have been crying and it seems that no body is even asking us, ‘what is paining you? How market?’, so we are worried about this.
“As long as the government does not understand the importance of aviation and make the appropriate investment like creating an enabling environment for the aviation industry to survive which means access to single digit capital and reduction of all the charges that are so enormous… If nothing is done quickly, the factors militating against the industry are not holding well for the future.”