The President of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Nigeria (AOPAN), Dr Alex Nwuba, has explained why airfares continue to rise.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday, Nwuba said that the increase in airfare is driven by demand and serves as compensation for the lower fares during off-peak seasons.
He noted that this pattern repeats every year, with prices inevitably going up.
According to him, airfares are expected to decrease next year as the government has pledged to reduce taxes and charges.
“It’s not new every year. It’s the same. Prices go up at Christmas time, the forces of economics at play,” he said.
He added, “It is demand-driven that price increases, and it’s compensation for low fares during the low season. So every year it’s exactly the same. The prices go up.”
“It’s unfortunate, but they’ll go down next year because the government has promised to reduce taxes and charges,” Nwuba concluded.
Recently, the Nigerian Senate summoned the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, and other key stakeholders in the aviation sector for urgent discussions following public concern over the sudden rise in domestic airfares.
