Air Peace, United Nigeria Airlines, Others Block Further Holiday Bookings
- Local airlines have barred passengers from further bookings ahead of the new holidays in 2025
- Findings show that the airlines locked their websites against passengers wishing to buy tickets for the Easter and Eid holidays
- Experts say the move is a breach of customers’ rights and might incur the wrath of regulators
Legit.ng’s Pascal Oparada has reported on tech, energy, stocks, investment and the economy for over a decade.
Local airlines have blocked their inventories against passengers from further bookings against forthcoming holidays.
The blockage has prevented flyers from booking before New Year holidays, such as Eid-el-Fitri and Easter.
Source: UGC
Passengers barred from further bookings
Reports show that while Eid falls on March 31, 2o25, the Easter holidays fall on April 20, 2025.
According to findings, passengers have been barred from visiting and booking on Air Peace, United Nigeria and Aero Contractors’ websites.
Air Peace passengers can only book flights from February 28, 2025, while United Airlines will open its portal on the same date -the same as Aero Contractors.
Arik Airline flyers will wait until March 26, while Rano Air Passengers can wait until April 30, 2025.
Stakeholders ask for regulators’ intervention
Experts say the airlines’ actions can anger the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
Stakeholders in the sector have described the act as a breach of consumers’ rights and asked government agencies to take action against the operators.
Travel experts say airlines typically open their inventories for 10 months to allow passengers to schedule their travel.
According to travel agents, global best practices allow airlines to open their inventories for up to 10 months so passengers can plan their travel.
Travel agents decry airlines’ actions
Leadership reports that the president of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agents (NANTA), Yinka Folami, disclosed that consumers must be allowed to purchase tickets in advance.
He stated that global best practices allow passengers to buy in advance and that the association will work to achieve balance and fair pricing in the country.
The development comes after the airlines charged Nigerians heavily for the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Experts say they blocked further bookings on their platforms to inflate holiday airfares.
Air Peace shares the actual cost of an hour's flight
Legit.ng previously reported that Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest carrier, says the cost of operating a one-hour flight surpasses N14 million.
Oluwatosin Olajide, the airline’s chief operating officer, disclosed this, saying that N7 million is needed to buy 4,000 litres of aviation fuel sold at N1,400 per litre in Nigeria.
According to her, for the aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance (ACMI), Air Peace spends about $4,000 for a one-hour flight.
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Source: Legit.ng
