The Chairman of Nigerian airline Air Peace, Allen Onyema, has said that domestic air travel in Nigeria is cheaper than in most parts of the world.
Speaking on Arise TV on Monday, Onyema argued that despite recent complaints about rising airfares, Nigerians still pay some of the lowest domestic flight fares globally.
“Nigerians are flying the cheapest fares in the world domestically—the cheapest. I will prove it to you. Not just this season (Yuletide), but generally,” he said.
According to Onyema, a one-hour domestic flight abroad can cost over $400, while similar flights in Nigeria still go for as low as ₦125,000, which is less than $60.
He explained that this pricing reality has contributed to the high failure rate of airlines in the country.
“This is why the mortality rate of airlines in Nigeria is very high; over 80 airlines have come and gone,” Onyema stated.
He added that the recent increase in ticket prices is largely due to rising operational and maintenance costs, rather than profit-driven motives.
In recent months, many Nigerians have expressed concern over the spike in domestic airfares, especially during peak travel periods.
