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Touts on prowl as fares on domestic routes soar
Touts are having a field day at most of the nation’s airports especially at the Lagos, Port-Harcourt and Abuja airports, as they are capitalising on the hike in fares on domestic routes to perpetrate their acts.
Although, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has declared their activities as unlawful, but curiously, they have continued to thrive, as they have become a ring or power syndicate.
The touts hang around the old domestic airport terminal popularly called General Aviation Terminal (GAT) because of lax security in the area and monitor passengers who are desperate to get on board departing aircraft. Immediately they sense the uneasiness or desperation of intending travellers, they accost them; giving them assurance of getting seats on aircraft that the airline officials at the counters said is full.
After convincing the desperate passenger of getting seats, the bargaining begins and they usually get seats at least N5, 000 more than one already quoted by the airline.
The touts take advantage of huge network provided by a leading Nigerian airline to carry out this nefarious activity. At times, the tout surfaces with a valid ticket and most times; they collect the money and disappear into thin air.
This is coming as all the airlines in the country have ‘clandestinely’ raised air fares by between 30 and 40 per cent. The affected services include fares, rates, add-on charges or terms and conditions of service.
The raise in air fares is compounded by shortage of aircraft, thereby increasing the pressure on the existing airlines and capacity. Nigeria’s oldest airline, Aero Contractors has many of its airplanes ferried out of the shores of Nigeria for maintenance and about four of the airplanes are yet to return.
WoleshadareNews learnt that Medview, Dana and Arik among others, also have some of their airplanes out for maintenance.
The implication is that demand is outweighs supply, leading to full flights by many of the carriers for the few passengers they airlift.
An hour flight from Lagos to Abuja for instance, has jumped from between N16, 000 and N17, 000 to between N23, 000 and N28, 000 depending on time of ticket purchase.
The fare could be more if tickets are bought shortly before a trip and that could be as high as N30, 000 and N32, 000 depending on availability of seats for just a one way flight.
The carriers told this newspaper that two factors such as depreciation of local currency against the United States dollars made them to increase the air fare by over 40 per cent.
A dollar, which now exchanges for about N300 and N375 per dollar at the official and parallel markets, for long, was pegged at $1 to N197 officially. Recently, the Nigerian economy had been hit by unprecedented financial instability.
First was the falling oil price, which resulted in reduced government income. The airline fares are quoted in US dollars and Nigerians pay the equivalent naira at the previous exchange rate of N197. After the devaluation, the payment is now calculated at an exchange rate of N300.
That is an enormous 45 per cent increase and the consequence is a huge reduction in travellers, as most people cannot afford the fare. A former manager of defunct Chanchangi Airlines, Mohammed Tukur said the carriers have no option thank to raise air fares because of prevailing situation in the country that has affected the situation airlines have found themselves.
Aside that, Tukur also pointed at the spiraling cost of aviation fuel, otherwise known as Jet A1, which he said has jumped to N170 per litre and above. Before now, it used to be between N85 and N90 per litre depending on place of purchase.
Aviation fuel takes over 35 per cent of airline revenue. Tukur, who was also the Assistant Secretary-General of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) said the carriers are in dire strait, stressing that the average fare on economy class should not be less than N35, 000 if airlines are to break-even.
is words, “You look at the dollar; you now buy everything in dollar. Airline business is heavily dollarized. Maintenance cost has gone up, the airlines pay so many charges to the aviation agencies, among other sundry charges.”
“Minimum fare for economy class should not be more than N35, 000 if they really want to break even. Their fear is that if they raise air fare, people would take to road travel. It is still very cheap to fly in Nigeria”, he added.
Aviation security consultant and former Commandant, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, Group Capt. John Ojikutu (rtd) said the carrier are now charging the right fare, noting that they are now doing what they should have done many years ago.
He said N10, 000 and N12, 000 fares hitherto charged by the airlines were not realistic considering the high capital intensive nature of airline operation.
Just recently, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said it could not be held responsible if airlines try to adjust air fares.
Spokesman for the authority, Sam Adurogboye said said airlines’ tariffs have been fully liberalised.
According to Adurogboye, air fares and sundry charges were statutorily deregulated and subjected to market forces.
Explaining how fares are arrived at, he disclosed that all air carriers or their agents file with the authority, a tariff for that service showing all rates, fares and add-on charges.
These, he said include the terms and conditions of free and reduced rate transportation for that service, as specified in Part 18.14.1.1 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs).
“They shall obtain approval from the authority to introduce and or increase add-on charges or surcharges, such as fuel, Internet booking, insurance, security and similar surcharges, prior to implementation,” he said.
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