Air Travel In Nigeria Is One Of The Cheapest Globally —Airline Operators

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of United Airlines Limited, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, has said that air travel within Nigeria is one of the cheapest when compared with other countries globally.

Okonkwo, who is also the Spokesperson for airline operators in Nigeria, made the submission while speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday.

His submission came following recent allegations of airfare hikes by airline passengers.

He argued that airlines still charge low airfares despite higher operating costs incurred by operators, including questionable taxes and levies.

“I think internal air travel within Nigeria is one of the cheapest.

We know the rates around the world. If you get a ticket for $100, it must have been discounted, and there must have been someone in that aircraft who also paid $1000. We use high ticket prices to compensate for your low ticket prices. And we operate in the same market, buy aircraft from the same market, and pay staff like those airlines operating in other countries.

So the cost of operations in Nigeria is even higher. And don’t forget, 99.9 per cent of every expense in our operations, from spare parts to maintenance, procurement of equipment, is all in dollars. But we still sell tickets in naira here in Nigeria. We have to convert naira to dollars before we make our expenses.

“Our operational costs are enormous. We take loans at 30-35 per cent, while those in other countries are taking loans at 2-7 per cent.

And we here pay a lot of unexplainable taxes that don’t exist in many parts of the world. Still, we charge low.

Credit: channelstv.com

The post Air Travel In Nigeria Is One Of The Cheapest Globally —Airline Operators appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.

Read Full Story