FG to investigate outrageous airfares by airlines

The Federal Government, through the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), has announced plans to investigate the raging and unbelievable airfare regime imposed on Nigerian travelers by airlines operating in the country.

Speaking with the media over the weekend during the agency’s end-of-year get-together, the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the FCCPC, Babatunde Irukera, promised to run a detailed investigation into the high airfare regime in Nigeria’s aviation sector, noting that as important as that may sound, it is, however, a difficult task determining price hikes, particularly airfares.

According to the FCCPC Boss, “There’s a provision in law against price gouging. Nigeria is a free-market economy where the buyer and seller agree to determine cost. Do we, as a regulator, have the power to impose a price? No, we don’t. So one way to determine excessive pricing is through investigation.”

The FCCPC boss revealed in his usual detailed presentation that forensic studies in airfare pricing remain the most complex in the market investigation ecosystem, adding that it’s possible to travel a short distance and pay more, even with someone sitting beside you, paying something different.

Describing the phenomenon as a “competition issue,” Mr. Irukera noted that there are many issues that must be considered when investigating the hike in airfares.

“We believe that airfares in Nigeria are too high, but it will amount to an abuse of office by the regulatory authority to take action just because we feel the price is high. Our duty is to establish evidence and confront the body, and that’s why we will commence an investigation into why airfares in Nigeria are too high,” Mr. Babatunde Irukera clarified.

Commending the FCCPC Boss for his resolve to investigate the raging and unbelievable airfare regime in Nigeria, President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) Mrs. Susan Akporiaye said it’s high time something is done about the high airfares regime in the Nigerian aviation industry.

In the words of the NANTA President, “We want to appreciate the Government through the Executive Vice Chairman of FCCPC, Babatunde Irukera, who has assured the sector that investigations would commence into the present structure of Airfares in Nigeria and bring it to an acceptable regime. ‘It is only fair to conduct a thorough investigation before decisive intervention steps are taken.'”

Mrs. Susan Akporiaye, who in recent times with her team, initiated one of the most stringent advocacies for good practices in the downstream sector of the aviation industry in Nigeria, described Mr. Irukera’s announcement as “a Christmas and New Year gift” to travel agents who have borne the backlash of the fare hike by Airlines operating in Nigeria.

“This is it, and we want to appreciate Mr. President for gifting us an FCCPC, headed by a thorough professional, and to this end, we will endeavor to help the regulatory authority with whatever information that can help bring back sanity to fare management issues and give some respite to our Nigerian customers,” Mrs. Akporiaye added.

Recall that the NANTA leadership in recent times and in response to the cries of the Nigerian traveling public had taken decisive advocacy steps and complained to the Federal Ministry of Aviation, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and the National Assembly Committee on Aviation to wade into the issue, which has made life difficult for the members of the Nigerian traveling public and also impacted negatively on the survival of travel trade professionals in the country.

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