AM EDITORIAL: Today’s Dilemma Of The Nigerian Air Traveller
Since the emergence of Nigeria’s aviation industry, efforts have been made by industry leadership to encourage increased volume of domestic and international air travel. Despite all the efforts, less than 10% of Nigeria’s over 200 million population have been able to travel by air in recent years, due largely to economic factors.
Most of the business transactions in the aviation industry require foreign exchange. The sale of international air travel tickets are rated in foreign currency, especially the United States dollars.
The floating of the Nigerian currency (Naira) by the current government that assumed office in May 2023, has influenced increase in the prices of even economy seat tickets. On certain international routes from Nigeria for instance, from the N350,000.00 required to fly by May 2023, the same ticket now costs over N2 million. Local flights between Lagos and Abuja now costs over N130,000.00 while much more is required to fly between Lagos airport and the airports in eastern Nigeria.
2024 yuletide season is just a few weeks away and there are apprehensions regarding the use of air travel by usual air travellers. This is understandable since the national economic policies of today such as fuel subsidy removal, has reduced the individual purchasing power of citizens, including regular air travellers.
Based on the high prices of air tickets, many air travellers are already embracing alternative means of transportation and this is reflective in reports which show that about 2.04 million international travels out of Nigeria, were made in 2023 but the figure has dropped to a record of 816,000 between January and September, 2024.
Since travelling by air has been retrained to a necessity as against the fun it used to be to a class of citizens, holiday makers are seeking cheaper alternatives already. There are indications that during the 2024 yuletide season, most annual family reunions that were hitherto made, using air travel for movement, may not be made.
Patronage of air freight might increase but his would depend on where the constantly increasing exchange rate would have taken the prices of goods and services by December 2024. The exchange rate of the naira to the US dollar by June 2023 was N400 to $1. By November 2024, it has reached N1,700 to $1.
In a sane clime, the emerging challenge of international holiday makers and tourists being unable to afford international travels, ought to be exploited as an opportunity that compels the government of the day and private stakeholders to collaboratively and speedily develop local tourist sites, while fixing insecurity challenge that discourages tourism.
In an economy where hyperinflation has gathered so much speed muscle from policy driven, frequently changing exchange rate, such speed is not an advantage to the populace at all, and air travel sector has obviously become a victim.
Meanwhile, we urge the authorities and the airline service providers to ensure that discouraging airports infrastructure lapses and other passenger inconveniences of avoidable flight cancellations and delays are avoided during the 2024 yuletide season.
Now, considering the operating cost constraints of airlines fuelled by the prevailing national economic policies, which have resulted in high air ticket pricing, can individuals in Nigeria still afford to treat themselves to self-sponsored air travel in the coming year? Will tourist air travel continue to generate much interest? Will young people who have never travelled by air on a holiday trip still be able to do so?
Only the managers of Nigeria’s economy can provide us with an answer. We only hope it will be a YES. AM
