DOMESTIC airlines in the country have increased air fares to destinations across the country by at least 15 per cent. The new fares came into effect yesterday.
Coming barely two years after the airlines raised fares from N10,000 to N12,000, the airlines this time raised fares to N14,000 for every one hour flight, with Kano attracting N17,000 per flight.
Unlike previous increases which were introduced by the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), the latest hike in fares was effected by individual airlines. However, some airlines have backed out of the increase.
Vanguard learnt that factors ranging from increasing aviation fuel price, cost of labour and overall high operational cost are responsible for the latest increase.
Public Affairs Manager of Bellview Airlines, Mr. Habib Mohammed, told Vanguard that the increase was inevitable because, according to him, aviation fuel price has shot from N62 to N82 per litre thereby hiking operational cost.
�Almost all cost attendant to operations have gone up. Fuel price has increased from N62 to N82, while labour cost has equally risen, as airlines now rely on expatriate staff because of the scarcity of qualified personnel,� said the Bellview spokesman.
Mohammed, who noted that it was cheaper to fuel aircraft in Europe than Nigeria, said the recent re-capitalisation policy of the Federal Government had further compounded problems faced by domestic airlines in the country.
Speaking in a similar vein, Head of Communications, Arik Air, Mr. Gbemiga Ogunleye, said though the airline had not increased fares on all routes, it would, with effect from next Monday, raise fares on the Lagos-Port Harcourt and Abuja-Port Harcourt routes.
According to him, fares from Lagos to Port Harcourt will be N21,500 from N20,000, while Abuja-Port Harcourt will go up from N22,500 to N25,000. He said Arik Air would consider increase in fares on other routes.
On the reason for the increase, Ogunleye said: �Our costs are different, you know we have four brand new planes. Therefore, our service is different from that of other airlines. We want to serve our customers better. We will consider increase in fares on other routes later; definitely we will.�
Virgin Nigeria, however, said it had no plan of hiking fares, just as Aerocontractors indicated interest to join the league of others that have raised fares later.
Mr. Larry Agose, Virgin Nigeria�s Head of Public Communications, told Vanguard on telephone: �We are out of this.�
Speaking through its Media Consultant, Mr. Deba Uwadiae, Aerocontractors Airlines said: �Aero will join, but as of now, we have not joined.�
Efforts to reach Operations Manager of Chanchangi Airlines, Alhaji Mohammed Tukur, yielded no fruit, but sources close to the airline confirmed that the airline had raised fares on all routes.
Due to the sudden fare increase, many passengers were taken unawares, as some who didn�t plan for the increase discontinued their travel plans.