Return Tickets On South-East Routes Hit N533,600

Air passengers going to the South Eastern part of the country will pay over N500, 000 on return tickets to their various destinations during the yuletide – Christmas and new year period.

 While other routes such as Lagos -Abuja, Lagos Port Harcourt and Lagos-Uyo still maintained their pre-yuletide fare, the South Eastern routes are currently exorbitantly high.

As monitored by our Correspondent, return tickets from Lagos to Anambra on Air Peace, goes for N533,600, while Lagos- Enugu and Owerri return tickets go for N343,200 and N533,600 respectively.

On United Nigeria Airlines, Abuja-Anambra; Lagos- Anambra; Lagos Enugu and Lagos Owerri go for N441,000; N520,500 and N441,000 respectively.

Dana Air only ply Owerri in the South-East and the return ticket during the period under review goes for N400,000.

However, it was further gathered that despite the astronomical increase in the flight tickets, the airlines have sold out their seats for the yuletide season.

Also, stakeholders have attributed to inflation, foreign exchange, airlines trapped fund and hike in jet A1 as reasons for the astronomical increase in the price

Peak periods for airlines are during the yuletide period and due to insecurity in the region, visitors prefer to pay the astronomical air fare to land travelling.

 The secretary general, Aviation Round Table Initiative (ARTI), Olumide Ohunayo, said with the current exchange rate, the current fare is not unexpected.