Airlines dismiss FCCPC claims of domestic price manipulation during 2025 festive season

The Airlines Operators of Nigeria (AON) has rejected claims by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) that local airlines manipulated ticket prices during the December 2025 festive season.

The rebuttal was made public by AON spokesperson Professor Obiora Okonkwo and reported by the African Independent Television (AIT) on Friday.

The disagreement follows the FCCPC’s interim report, suggesting patterns of price manipulation on some domestic routes.

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The AON insists that the Commission lacks the technical expertise to interpret airline pricing structures and that fare adjustments reflect standard industry practices driven by supply and demand. The association warned that the regulator’s conclusions could be detrimental to the survival of domestic carriers if left unchallenged.

**What they are saying **

Okonkwo described the FCCPC’s actions as harmful to domestic operators and argued that the Commission misunderstood the complexities of airline pricing.

• “The Airlines Operators of Nigeria (AON) has responded to allegations by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) that domestic airlines manipulated ticket prices during the December 2025 festive season,” the AIT report read.
• _“Speaking in reaction, AON spokesperson Professor Obiora Okonkwo described the Commission’s actions as very detrimental to the survival of domestic operators.” _
• “He argued that the FCCPC lacks the technical expertise to interpret airline pricing structures and accused the Commission of playing to the gallery.”

Okonkwo explained that airline pricing depends on multiple operational variables beyond fuel costs, including maintenance schedules, aircraft availability, insurance obligations, airport and navigation charges, and currency-denominated expenses.

He further maintained that fare adjustments during peak travel windows are largely influenced by demand and supply dynamics, a standard practice in global aviation.

Backstory

The FCCPC’s interim report, released Thursday by its Department of Surveillance and Investigations, claims it uncovered patterns of price manipulation during the festive season.

According to Ondaje Ijagwu, Director of Corporate Affairs, the findings were based on data collated from domestic airlines and compared December 2025 fares with post-peak January 2026 ticket prices.

• The report noted that higher fares coincided with periods of reduced seat availability during predictable seasonal demand peaks.
• It also acknowledged that seasonal demand pressures, scheduling constraints, and fleet utilisation may affect pricing.

The FCCPC had opened the investigation following public complaints about sharp fare hikes on routes to the South-East and South-South regions, where tickets reportedly reached N350,000 and above.

Concerns were raised over what appeared to be coordinated or exploitative pricing, prompting regulatory scrutiny.

**What you should know   **

Aviation expert Dr. Alex Nwuba, President of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Nigeria, had earlier explained that the December fare surge is a recurring seasonal pattern.

• Fares rise sharply because many travellers book late, pushing prices into higher brackets, reflecting normal economic adjustments rather than exploitation.
• Tickets are sold in a_ “bucket”_ system, where early buyers benefit from lower fares, and prices increase as flights fill up.
• Structural challenges, including limited aircraft capacity, a weakened naira, higher-than-global fuel costs, and multiple aviation charges, increase operating expenses and ticket prices.
• Nwuba emphasised that airlines are responding to seasonal demand and economic realities, calling for reforms to taxation and operational charges to make flying more accessible and reduce peak-period fare spikes.

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, reiterated that airfares in Nigeria’s deregulated market are fully market-driven, a policy in place since the Babangida era.

He stressed that while fares surged during the festive season, the increases were driven by market forces rather than government policy.

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