Capacity Crisis, Not Exploitation Behind High Airfares – Amusan

Olusoji Amusan, a former staff of Lufthansa German Airlines and past President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), speaks with PAKULI PANAM DANJUMA on the state of Nigerian airports, rising domestic airfares, capacity constraints and the performance of the aviation sector in 2025. Excerpts:

Indigenous airlines have been accused of unnecessarily inflating airfares during festive periods. What is your response?

Airfares are indeed high during the yuletide periods, but they are not unnecessarily high. This is normal and largely driven by the law of supply and demand. During peak travel seasons like the festive period, many more people are competing for very limited seats. By every January, when travel demand drops, fares naturally come down.

This situation is not peculiar to aviation alone. Take the price of rams for instance – compare what they cost now with their prices in October. Beyond that, airlines are heavily burdened by multiple taxes, charges and levies, all of which are eventually passed on to passengers. What we see during December period is a normal seasonal and cyclical variation in prices.

Do Nigerian airlines have enough capacity to cope with the surge in traffic?

Capacity should be examined both at the micro and macro levels. What a country gains from travel depends on its ability to reciprocate, and that is where the issue of a national carrier becomes critical.

Our local airlines simply do not have the capacity required to meet current demand. That is why Nigeria needs a national carrier. Only the government has the financial muscle to order 50 or even 100 aircraft at once and take delivery seamlessly. Government should initiate the project, attract investors, and then hands off from daily management.

To compete effectively with foreign airlines on international routes, Nigeria needs scale—something our current operators lack. With a government-backed national carrier, investors like Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Bayo Ogunlesi and others would be more willing to participate.

There are concerns about disorderliness at Nigerian airport terminals. How can this be addressed?

We have discussed airport sanity for years, but we must now focus on practical and achievable solutions. Sanity should start from the check-in counters, departure halls and arrival areas.

Many people who have no business at the airport roam freely. Just because someone works with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) or any other agency does not mean they should have unrestricted access. Entry into restricted areas should strictly depend on an On-Duty-Card (ODC).

Take the baggage reclaim area for example, often, there are more people there than actual passengers. Everyone wants to “help” carry luggage, yet nobody helped the passenger at departure. Access must be controlled and properly supervised.

Even outside the terminals, there is chaos. Roles must be clearly defined. FAAN has its responsibilities, while the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), enforces standards on behalf of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). If we get these basics right, the difference will be visible within two or three months.

Sanity should begin with our five international airports, which serve as Nigeria’s gateways and are recognised by ICAO and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) through their international codes.

How would you assess the aviation industry’s performance in 2025?

Frankly, we have not done as much as we should have, though some progress was recorded. Nigerians are generally not nationalistic; we focus more on what we can gain individually from the system. Look at Air Peace operating international routes, how many Nigerians genuinely support the airline?

In terms of growth and making aviation tourism-friendly, we achieved very little. Nigeria has huge tourism potential, both inbound and outbound. Inbound tourism brings foreign money into the country, while outbound tourism mostly enriches individuals who facilitate it.

However, one major achievement in 2025 was the sustained effort of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, in the actualisation of the Cape Town Convention. This has boosted the confidence of aircraft lessors and improved access to aircraft on favourable dry-lease and financing terms for Nigerian airlines.

What are your expectations for the aviation sector in 2026?

My expectation is improved sanity across the sector so that passengers can feel the impact. There is also talk about aerotropolis – an airport city with banks, shopping malls, factories and more. But the reality is that most of the available spaces around our airports have already been allocated.

For aerotropolis to work, government must reclaim and expand those spaces, and we must also change our mindset about who we assign responsibilities to.

Are you concerned that retired staff of aviation agencies still operate within restricted airport areas?

The problem is impunity. Many people do whatever they like and get away with it. You cannot do that in the United Kingdom, Germany or any serious aviation country.

I retired from Lufthansa over two decades ago, and since then I have never stepped into their office. Why would I? But here, people claim to be staff of NCAA or other agencies and freely access restricted areas, often working as agents for individuals or organisations.

There must be rules. If you are not on duty, you should not be within restricted areas. In emergency cases, an ODC should be issued. This is part of the NCAA’s responsibility. The Director-General of Civil Aviation is an employee of Nigeria and also accountable to ICAO, and these standards must be enforced.