Nigerians enjoy world’s cheapest domestic air fares despite yuletide surge — Air Peace boss

Abdullateef Fowewe

The Chairman and CEO of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, had claimed that Nigerians are paying the lowest domestic air fares globally, despite airlines hiking prices for the festive season.

In an interview with ARISE NEWS, Onyema emphasised that local fares remain a bargain compared to international equivalents.

“Nigerians are flying the cheapest fares in the world, domestically. Generally, even this season, Nigerians are paying the cheapest. And I’ll prove it to you now,” he stated.

He compared Nigeria’s one-hour flights, available for as low as N125,000 or N115,000 (under $60 at current rates), to Delta Air Lines’ Atlanta-Charleston route – a sub-50-minute hop priced at $399 one-way for mid-January 2026, equating to over N600,000.

“One-hour flight costs over $400 out there. For a main cabin, it’s $459. One way is $399. In Nigeria, we still have tickets for N125,000,” Onyema noted.

These claims arrive amid fare increases from December 1, 2025, to January 2026.

Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines now charge N350,500 for Lagos-Abuja and routes to the South-East and South-South.

Ibom Air raised Enugu, Owerri, and Asaba fares from N125,500 to N335,500 starting December 11, while United Nigeria lists a December 24 Lagos-Asaba ticket at N399,999.

Onyema blamed local carriers’ high failure rate – over 80 collapsed – on slim margins despite challenges like 35% borrowing rates versus 2% abroad, plus costly maintenance without local infrastructure.

“Aviation is the same aviation worldwide. We buy our spares from the same market. For the Nigerian airline to do any maintenance, you have to ferry your aircraft, spending about $400,000 just on ferrying alone,” he explained.

He rejected country-specific pricing excuses, warning that persistent low fares amid rising costs threaten more airline failures.