Competition thickens as local airline operators slash airfares

Some airline operators in the Nigerian aviation sector have slashed airfares on major local routes in the country, including flights from Lagos to Abuja, Port-Harcourt, Ilorin and Owerri.

Green Africa Airways, a new entrant in the sector slashed its prices by over 50%. Now its fares for Lagos and Abuja and vice-versa are between N16,500 and N23,000.

The airline, which primarily focuses on six domestic destinations, including Abuja, Port Harcourt, Akure, Ilorin, Enugu and Owerri, charged N16,500 from Lagos to Port Harcourt, while others charged about N60,000 in April. Flights to Akure, Ondo and Ilorin, which used to be around N50,000 in April, were fixed at N16,500 respectively.

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These are the lowest fares in the industry when compared to current prices charged by other airlines operating in the country.

Air Peace Airline, which is the acclaimed biggest airline in the country, has also reduced its fares across some destinations like Ilorin, and Abuja, just to mention a few.

For instance, the airline slashed the airfare from Lagos to Ilorin (flight operations to Ilorin are slated to commence in June 2021) from N52,500, which some airlines charged last month, to N32,700.

Also, the fare from Lagos to Abuja has dropped from N60,000 (in April) to between N23,000 and N29,000.

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The spokesperson of the airline, Stanley Olisa, said that the airline is set to “kick-off daily Abuja-Ilorin-Abuja and Lagos-Ilorin-Lagos flights on June 17, 2021.

The new route further exemplifies the airline’s unwavering determination to interconnect various cities across Nigeria while filling the gaps in Nigeria’s air travel connectivity. The flying public can start booking on our website and mobile app.”

In April, airfares across Nigeria increased by as much as 100%, with ticket fares to cities like Port Harcourt, Ilorin, and northern states like Kebbi, Borno, Adamawa and Kano increased by as much as 100%.