After Air Peace Crashed London Airfare, British Airways, Others Open Cheaper Tickets for Nigerians
- International airlines have opened cheaper ticket inventories for travellers from Nigeria following NCCA's interventions
- The development follows the crashing of airfares on the London route by Air Peace, which recently began at Gatwick Airport
- The foreign airlines that have opened their lower ticket inventory include KLM, Egypt Air, Ethiopian Airlines, and British Airways, among others
Legit.ng's Pascal Oparada has reported Tech, Energy, Stocks, Investment and the Economy for over a decade.
Following complaints of high airfares for international travel by Nigerians, major foreign airlines have heeded the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority's (NCAA) directive to open their lower inventory tickets, which had been locked for several months.
Nigerians have been made to pay higher fares for international trips than other African countries because only higher inventory tickets were open in Nigeria, while cheaper inventories were blocked.
Source: Getty Images
FG's intervention in airfare yields results
The regulatory authority, NCAA, had expressed displeasure over foreign airlines' discriminatory practices against Nigerian travellers and set up a three-day meeting with airlines operating the Nigerian route.
Leadership reports that among those in the meeting were representatives of the NCAA, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and the National Association of Travel Agencies (NANTA), with a representation from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on behalf of the foreign airlines.
Horatius Egua, who chaired the meeting, charged all foreign airlines to cut down their ticket costs and unlock lower inventory tickets to Nigerians and those travelling abroad from the country.
Airlines that have blocked cheap tickets
The authority considered fares charged in Africa's largest economy discriminatory compared to regional flight tickets by the same airlines.
Following the meeting, many foreign airlines opened their lower inventory tickets for Nigerian travellers.
The airlines that have unblocked their lower inventory tickets include Lufthansa, KLM, Egypt Air, Ethiopian Airlines, British Airways, Royal Air Mar, RwandAir, and Turkish Airlines.
Foreign airfares hike fares by 100%
Legit.ng reported that as of August last year, international airfares, especially to European countries, were expected to keep climbing.
This followed the closure of the Nigerien airspace by the country's coup leader on Sunday, August 6, 2023.
National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) announced the closure of Niger Republic's airspace amid threats by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) demanding that President Mohamed Bazoum be restored or there would be military action.
While checks by Legit.ng on some of the notable airlines' booking portals showed that there had yet to be an adjustment, the extra hours expected to be spent on Europe-bound flights being rerouted due to the closure suggested that the increase was only a matter of time.
Daily Trust reported that the Nigerien airspace via Niamey was usually the route for flights from Nigeria to London, Spain, Ireland, France, and several European countries.
Air Peace crashes fares on London route
The development came after Nigeria's largest carrier, Air Peace, announced a crash in the cost of airfares on the London route.
A previous report by Legit.ng showed that the airline announced the commencement of ticket sales for its highly anticipated London flights.
The airline offers economy class tickets for its London route at N1.2 million and business class tickets at N4 million.
The airline revealed the prices in a press statement on Wednesday, February 28, 2024.
Lagos to London price list for British Airways, other airlines
Legit.ng earlier reported that Air Peace, Nigeria's leading airline, was set to begin direct flights from Nigeria to London starting on March 30, 2024.
The airline secured approval months after Festus Keyamo, the minister of aviation and aerospace, engaged the United Kingdom to actualise direct flights from Lagos to London.
Air Peace ticket pricing was 60% cheaper compared to other airlines, as foreign airlines charged an average of N3.5 million for economy class tickets from Lagos to London.
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Source: Legit.ng
