Aircraft Owners Dismisses Claims That Nigerian Airfares Are “Cheap”

The President of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Nigeria (AOPAN), Dr. Alex Nwuba, has challenged recent assertions that air travel in Nigeria is among the cheapest in the world, saying such claims misrepresent the real affordability burden borne by domestic passengers.

In a statement accompanying a study titled “Reassessing Nigerian Airfares: A Global Affordability Perspective”, Nwuba said comparisons that focus only on headline ticket prices ignore critical economic factors particularly income levels and purchasing-power parity (PPP). His research showed that despite seemingly low nominal fares, Nigerian travellers pay significantly more relative to their earnings than passengers in many other countries.

Nwuba pointed out that Nigeria’s average short-haul domestic fare about $175 (≈ ₦131.67) is higher on an affordability basis than comparable markets, even in countries where average wages and PPP are higher, such as India, Vietnam, Malaysia and South Africa. In his analysis, Nigeria and Ethiopia emerged as the least affordable domestic aviation markets among the 20 countries reviewed.

He argued that structural constraints including heavy reliance on domestic passengers, weak PPP, limited international connectivity and high operating costs have created a situation where airline capacity and ticket pricing fail to align with the population’s ability to pay. “Domestic affordability is not just an economic indicator in Nigeria; it is the lifeline of the industry,” Nwuba said, stressing that without broader structural reforms, the sector will remain fragile despite Nigeria’s large population.

By Oshuniran Sheriff Ola