Following a sharp drop in passenger traffic during the first quarter of 2024, domestic airfares in Nigeria have drastically decreased, giving customers various options.
REPORTERS AT LARGE recalls that in February, major domestic carriers, including Air Peace, Dana Air, and Ibom Air, offered economy travel tickets for most locations for N140,000, which was a significant increase from the average of N89,000.
However, despite the rising Jet A1 fuel prices, most airlines are trying to attract customers by dramatically lowering their fares. Daily Sun reported that Dana Air offers economy tickets on its website for as little as N64,800 for people who want to fly from Lagos to Abuja on April 30.
However, current findings on the airlines’ websites reveal a significant drop in airfare. Today, economy class tickets on the Lagos-Abuja route for all time slots on Air Peace are available for N85,000 for travel on April 30th. This pricing applies to flights from Abuja to Asaba scheduled for the same date. Passengers travelling economy class from Calabar to Lagos can now expect to pay N100,000, while flights from Lagos to Benin and Anambra have dropped to N85,000 and N100,000, respectively.
In February, United Nigeria Airlines sold economy-class tickets at a rate of N142,500 for all the listed routes departing from Abuja. This included flights to Anambra, Lagos, Sokoto, Enugu, and Bayelsa. But, as of April 30th, some destinations’ prices have significantly decreased. For instance, a flight from Abuja to Anambra now costs N100,000, representing a decrease of N42,500. Also, travellers flying from Lagos to Kano can now expect to pay N70,000, a reduction of N72,500 compared to February fares.
Ibom Air also witnessed a decrease in fares on the Lagos-Uyo route, with the current fare at N96,000, down from N150,000 in March. Information for other Ibom Air routes (Lagos to Calabar and Enugu) was unavailable for April 30th. Aero Contractors also showed a reduction in airfare for the Lagos-Abuja route, with the current price at N75,000, representing a decrease of N28,700 compared to March fares. Data for the Lagos-Kano route on Aero Contractors was unavailable for April 30th.
Last month, passengers who opted for Green Africa paid N118,000 for an economy-class ticket on the Lagos-Abuja route. Similarly, in March, Arik Air flights from Lagos to Sokoto and Jos cost N244,000 and N142,500, respectively. Meanwhile, travellers looking to fly Green Africa on April 30th can now enjoy a significant price reduction. Economy tickets are available for N73,000, a decrease of N45,000 compared to March fares.
