Better to increase fares than compromise safety

NIGERIA’S air transport is obviously presently in turmoil brought about by the recent increase in fares by the domestic airlines.

The operators hitherto the increase had at different fora lamented the unfriendly business environment in which they operated from which hindered seamless and profitable operations.

Each of the operators at every given opportunity did not hide how their operations had been put under very tight pressures courtesy of the various factors caused mainly by the unfriendly policies of government.

Prior to now, the operators had highlighted factors militating against their operations to include: multiple entry policies that are favourable to foreign airlines, failure to play international aero politics by government for the protection of domestic airlines, unstable foreign exchange laced with collapse of the Naira, expensive price of aviation fuel, multiple taxation systems and many others. All these factors according to the operators had eaten deeply into their operational costs.

The airlines as a way of keeping their heads up in the midst of the troubled waters had taken some steps as though tough as they may be which unfortunately, have put air travelers into a tight corner.

This must have been responsible for the latest fare increase by the operators. Since the increase which represents over 75 per cent, the entire sector has been thrown into confusion with different stakeholders either condemning or supporting it.

With the announcement of the new regime of fares, a one hour flight that used to attract between N16,000 and N20,000 depending on airlines, now sells for between N50, 000 and N105,000 or even more.

While a group of people including travelers have described the fare increase as unfair and price fixing by the operators at a time average Nigerians are struggling with economic hardship worsened by the pandemic, those loyal to the cause of the operators have thrown their weight behind the increase for the survival of the airlines.

According to some key players, it makes no economic sense in the Nigerian domestic airline operational cost if as back as 1990 a one hour flight from Lagos to Abuja was costing N3,800/N4,000 or $100 when a dollar that used to exchange for N40 and in 2022 now exchanges for N500 they are still selling at N25,000/N30,000 or $50/60 for the same journey.

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“Airlines doing that must have other sources of making earnings to meet up their operational costs. Fuel has increased in multiple times in Naira, spare parts are paid for in dollars, staff salaries and aeronautical service charges have increased in multiples and ticket fares have dropped by 50 per cent, what is the economic sense in that?

For sure, going by all the challenges confronting the operators coupled with the failure of government to assist them, the operators may be excused for increasing fares this time around as the only available means of survival.

Agreed that increasing fares this critical time may force many of the few air travelers across the country to now embrace road transport at their own risk, but it is better to raise fares to remain in business than to cut corners and compromise safety.

With the increase, the airlines have just taken their destiny in their own hands since government is not making any effort to assist them. A decision which must have been escalated by the statement accredited to the National Assembly Committees on aviation threatening to patronize foreign airlines.

Now that the airlines have increased fares, this is not the time to start apportioning blames as a result of the obvious reasons adduced to for the increase that cannot be entirely ignored, rather, the time has come for the government and the relevant aviation authorities to meet with the operators and review the challenges.

There is no better time to tackle issues such as expensive price of Jet A1, poor airport infrastructures, review of the one sided air travel agreements that favour foreign airlines, non availability of forex and other challenges, as handling these will help cushion the effects of the operational hardships and subsequent seamless and affordable air transport in the country.

While all hands are on the deck to see how government, the airlines and other stakeholders come together to urgently restore confidence back to air transport system in Nigeria, passengers who are at the receiving end of the confusion should take solace in the fact that the present tight situation is better than safety compromise that may arise from the consequences of airlines operating for the sake of remaining in business with no recourse to safety standards.

Shola Adekola