Due to a continuous surge in airfares, many passengers travelling from Lagos to various destinations such as Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kaduna, Owerri, and Kano are increasingly switching to road travel.
Over the past year, the average price for a one-way airline ticket has surged by more than N150,000.
BusinessDay’s calculations indicate a 180.4 per cent increase in the average price of a one-way trip from Lagos to Abuja, now costing N143,000 compared to N51,000 last year.
The Abuja to Port Harcourt route has seen an even steeper rise, with prices jumping 389.85 per cent from N45,000 in 2023 to N220,434.
Similarly, a one-way ticket from Abuja to Enugu, which was N90,000 in 2023, now exceeds N200,000, especially when booked on short notice.
Charles Orizu, a businessman and frequent traveller, said, “I now take night buses to Abuja from Enugu due to the high cost of airfare. Before now, I rarely travelled by road.”
He noted that Air Peace charges N200,000 for a one-way trip from Enugu to Abuja, which is unaffordable for him.
Emmanuel Kunaiyi, another frequent traveller, has reduced his air travel due to the high ticket prices.
“Flight tickets are extremely high. I understand that airlines are battling the high cost of aviation fuel, but it is still ridiculously high for an average Nigerian,” he said.
Sarah Wilson, a University of Uyo student from Lagos, has stopped flying to school because of the airfare hike.
Amaka Anagor, a businesswoman, expressed her frustration, stating, “I can no longer travel by flight to Owerri with my family because of the cost of tickets, which are unaffordable for me. I would rather travel by road, which is less expensive.”
Praise Ujunwa, an educator and regular traveller, recalled paying N27,000 for a ticket in December 2020. By May 2024, the price had escalated to N90,000 for a one-way trip from Uyo to Abuja.
She lamented the cost, noting that a round-trip would now require nearly half a million naira, making it unaffordable for the average Nigerian.
Airlines operating in Nigeria face high aviation fuel costs, which have risen from N230-N250 per litre last year to above N600 per litre across all airports.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that the average fare paid by air passengers for a single journey was N89,432.43 in May 2024, marking a 0.27 per cent increase compared to April 2024, and a 19.32 per cent increase from N74,948.78 in May 2023.
The North-West recorded the highest fares at N92,228.57, followed by the South-West at N92,083.33, with the North-Central region having the lowest average fare at N86,071.43.
