As the festive season approaches, Nigerians travelling to various parts of the country are trapped, clearly facing a difficult choice between paying high airfares or risking dangerous road travel.
Nigerian roads have become increasingly unsafe due to the spate of kidnapping and armed robbery. While highway armed robbers often launch random attacks, kidnappers target the rich.
A report published by SBM Intelligence shows that between July 2024 and June 2025, no fewer than 4,722 people were kidnapped in at least 997 incidents, in which at least 762 people were killed. In the same period, kidnappers received ₦2.57 billion from ₦48 billion requested.
Taking the option of air travel, which is safer, now seems a tall order, as ticket prices have become unaffordable even for the rich, let alone the average Nigerian.
While airlines have increased fleet capacity within the last year to boost operations, ticket prices have, however, surged to astronomical levels, especially this December, as people prepare to travel for the Yuletide celebration.
Domestic airlines have hiked their fares by over 200 per cent for key routes on days within the festive season. A one-way ticket on a busy route like Lagos-Abuja now costs from ₦190,000 to as high as ₦650,000, according to Pinnacle Daily findings.
Checks by Pinnacle Daily reveal that a one-way flight from Lagos to Abuja (1 hr: 15 mins) from December 15 to 31, 2025, ranges from ₦155,000 to ₦191,000 on Ibom Air, ₦107,000 to ₦145,000 on Air Peace, and ₦115,500 to ₦150,000 on United Nigeria Airlines.
However, flights from Lagos and Abuja to Southeast states like Anambra, Imo and Enugu seem to be much higher. For instance, a one-way flight from Lagos to Enugu on Air Peace costs between ₦105,000 and ₦335,000 between December 15, 2025, and January 02, 2026.
The days from December 21 onwards record the peak prices, when travellers are expected to travel more. United Nigeria Airlines put its ticket prices for the same route at between ₦300,000 and ₦500,000 in the same period.
While the airline’s ticket sold for ₦399,999.00 on January 1, 2026, up from ₦360,499.00 on December 31, 2025, it dropped by 50 per cent in 24 hours to ₦199,999.00 on January 2, 2026. Lagos to Anambra is selling between ₦360,000 and ₦500,000, and Lagos to Owerri is ₦400,000 to ₦500,000.
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The unprecedented spike in Nigerian domestic airfares ahead of the 2025 Yuletide season has sparked widespread reactions. The public reaction has been one of frustration and disappointment, with many travellers finding the increased fares to be unaffordable and exploitative.
While travellers lament the high fares and the impact on their pockets, airlines and aviation agencies have continued to trade blame about the cause of the surge.
A passenger who identified himself as John said he tried to book a flight from Lagos to Abuja but discovered that the price had skyrocketed across airlines all through December.
“Almost N250k just to board a flight from Abuja to Lagos. People can’t even travel by road because of insecurity,” he lamented.
An air hostess who preferred to remain anonymous described the hike in airfares as an exploitation of air travellers. She said it is unfair and unjustified because the price of Jet A1 (aviation fuel) did not increase.
“This is pure wickedness and completely unfair. How can a flight of less than one hour cost ₦500,000? This is exploitation,” she said.
She called on government authorities to enforce strict regulations on the airlines to ensure they do not continue to rip off passengers.
“These airlines need stricter regulation. With the rising insecurity on our roads, now we can’t even afford to fly,” she added.
However, domestic airlines have claimed that multiple charges imposed by government agencies in the aviation industry and foreign exchange volatility, among other factors, were responsible for the surge in ticket prices.
Aligning with the claims by the airlines, a travel management consultant and Group Managing Director of Finchglow Holdings, Bernard Bankole, said the spike in airfares was due to multiple charges imposed by regulatory agencies.
Bankole, who spoke during an annual media engagement of Finchglow Holdings in Lagos, said a substantial part of the ticket charges were statutory levies collected on behalf of agencies like the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), and Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
Bankole called on the government to review and cut these taxes, as the total cost will ultimately be passed on to passengers.
President of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Nigeria (AOPAN), Alex Nwuba, said airfares going up during the Christmas season is not a new trend.
Nwuba, who spoke in an interview with Arise News, said the ticket price surge is driven by an increase in demand.
“It is not new. Every year, it is the same thing. Prices go up at Christmas time; the forces of economics are at play. It is a demand-driven price increase, and it is compensation for low fares during low seasons,” Nwuba stated.
He said the airfares would go down next year because, according to him, the government has promised to reduce taxes and charges.
Responding to the public outrage, the Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives have demanded an immediate suspension of the recent hike in domestic airfares.
On its part, the Senate has summoned the Minister of Aviation, FAAN, NCAA, and major airline operators for an emergency meeting.
Also, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has announced that it has expanded an investigation into airfare hikes, particularly on South-East and South-South routes, for potential price manipulation.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist, scholar and analyst of socioeconomic issues in Nigeria and Africa. He is skilled in energy reporting, business and economy, and holds a master's degree in mass communication.
