Yuletide: Airlines struggle as demand outstrips supply over carriers’ depleting fleet

•  Air fares rise by over 120% amid Christmas rush

There are strong indications that passengers may go through excruciating pain to secure seats on aircraft, especially as the Yuletide approaches.

This is a result of the acute shortage of aircraft among many airlines, which prevents them from transporting the vast number of travellers to their destinations.

As Yuletide approaches, airlines are having a hectic time accommodating huge bookings and raising fares to an all-time high.

Many intending passengers overseas planning to visit the country for Christmas and New Year, called Aviation Metric to inquire about domestic air travel and how to get seats to their destinations from Lagos and Abuja, the two major entry points to Nigeria for international travellers.

A visit to the Murtala Muhammed Airport 2 (MMA2) on Thursday showed that airlines have hiked fares even for short distances, such as Asaba, Delta State, and Benin, where fares have quadrupled.

For instance, a return trip to Asaba on Air Peace for December 26, 2025, and return on January 4, 2026, costs N715,000, while the same trip on Aero Contractors costs N501,000. Asaba and Benin are about 40 minutes by air and about four hours by road.

Increasing security concerns on major interstate highways are pushing more people to choose air travel, even for shorter distances, and are driving rapid growth in demand on domestic routes.

Likewise, destinations like Owerri, Uyo, Enugu, Anambra, Port Harcourt, and Calabar for a return ticket are also as high as N700,000, depending on the time of booking.

These routes are the most patronised, as 90 per cent of traffic during the festive period is to the area.

The major constraint for airlines is that many lack enough aircraft to operate, with some fearing they may have to travel by road to their destinations as an alternative.

The capacity issue remains a race against time, as high demand during peak seasons (like the Yuletide) forces airlines to overstretch their limited fleets, leading to apparent delays and cancellations.

Passengers on Air Peace may be the most brutal hit, as the airline operates the most extensive domestic network. But the sudden withdrawal of the airline’s four leased aircraft may further expose its under-capacity for the festive operations.

Aside from that, the airline’s fleet has also been seriously depleted, with 13 of its aeroplanes reportedly ferried to maintenance. At the same time, some of its aircraft are grounded, a situation commonly referred to as Aircraft On Ground (AOG).

The airline is said to be working to minimise passenger delay and frustration as it took delivery of a B737-800 aircraft, its first on a dry-lease basis, in the penultimate week. Still, it remains to be seen if it will be adequate to bridge the capacity gap.

A source who spoke also said there is a possibility that some airlines are blocking seats to create artificial scarcity, with a view to raising fares during this period.

But President, National Association of Nigerian Travel Agents (NANTA), Mr Yinka Afolami, dismissed the insinuation, stressing that the carriers are facing a serious capacity issue, worsened by a massive influx of traffic during the yuletide.

He also said that, because of the demand, airlines see it as an opportunity to make money, as is done everywhere during high seasons, and that it is nothing new.

“I am just worried about the capacity of the airlines to cope with the huge travel demand. We know what they have been going through with equipment. I don’t think they are blocking seats. It is just that they don’t have enough capacity for this. Demand is just way more than supply”.

Chairman, Dees Travels and Tours Investment Limited, Mr Daisi Olotu, agreed with Folami, noting that airline tickets are paid for long before the yuletide, further making it difficult to get seats on planes at relatively cheaper prices.

He stated that the primary issue facing Nigerian carriers is not a lack of market demand, but severe capacity constraints driven by a challenging operational environment.

He further stated that many Nigerian airlines operate with fleets far below what is needed for reliable service, adding that when one aircraft goes AOG (Aircraft On Ground), the entire schedule collapses, leading to cancellations, delays, and passenger protection.

Wole Shadare