Airlines have recorded a drop in passengers following the recent increment in price of ticket with a one-way economy ticket selling for N50, 000.
A source at the Murtala Muhammad Airport (MMA) domestic wing said passengers’ figure had dropped since weekend, saying more people would have decided to travel by roads as they could no longer afford what they called the “exorbitant air fares.”
However, some stakeholders are insisting that NCAA has a responsibility to intervene. Analysts have said that, with the increment in airfares, people would begin to travel by bus and by train.
An official of one of the domestic airlines said, “the passengers coming to the airport have somehow dropped. People are probably now traveling by road. Those you see at the airport now are big men.”
Passengers have continued to lament over the increment in air fares across all sectors.
It was, however, learnt that the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) may reject the price increase which is seen to be against competition.
A source said the decision of AON was anti-competition for a group to take a decision on price fixing. “The FCCPC will soon come up with a position on it.”
Since last week, operators under the umbrella of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) have increased air fares by about 100 per cent with a one-way economy ticket selling for N50,000.
They blamed the decision on the increasing cost of operation, especially the price of aviation fuel which has almost quadrupled, now selling for over N410 per litre.
However, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) appears to be helpless on the issue as it said air fares are deregulated and determined by market forces.