Nigeria’s leading airline, Air Peace, has responded to allegations by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) of exploitative fares......Read The Full Article>>.....Read The Full Article>>
On December 1, FCCPC announced it would probe three companies, including Air Peace, over consumer complaints of exploitative practices.
Air Peace Response to FCPPC
Speaking to journalists on Friday, December 6, Oluwatoyin Olajide, Air Peace chief operating officer, described the FCCPC allegations as unwarranted and damaging.
According to her, the airline’s ticket pricing remains well below the expected market rate when operational costs are taken into account.
Olajide noted that, on average, operating a one-hour flight costs N7 million, with an additional N7 million for fuel, bringing the total to N14 million.
She added:
“We pay approximately 30% for financing when borrowing money, compared to about 3% paid by foreign airlines.
“Additionally, Nigerian airlines pay four times more for spare parts than their counterparts.”
She noted that insurance for a one-hour flight costs an additional N5 million, DailyTrust reports.
She stressed that if the airline were to charge using the operating costs of Nigerian airlines, a strictly one-hour flight in Nigeria would cost at least N700,000.
Olajide continued:
“What Nigerian airlines pay for insurance is like three or four times what other people are paying. Do you know the reason? Because Nigeria is stigmatised. We bear the brunt of it.
“In US one-hour flight cost at least $400 which is about N700,000: Then we will now charge N95,000 to Abuja, N100,000 to Abuja, N120,000 for same distance flight, and then we are crucified for this. This is terribly unfair. You can’t do this. It is unfair.”
Olajide questioned the FCCPC’s parameters to determine that Air Peace’s fares are exploitative.
She emphasised that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been very supportive of Air Peace and wondered why a government agency has decided to do damage to the airline.
Airpeace wants a solution
Vanguard reports that Olajide stated the allegations from the FCCPC must be addressed, as they are not only damaging to Air Peace but also to Nigeria.
She revealed that Air Peace Airline lost a summer slot in another country due to the current issue with FCCPC.
Olajide noted:
“A country we have writing to for a slot wrote back to us yesterday to say that they don’t have a slot for us because they said we are not their priority.
“They tell us we are not priority because of the way we are treated in our country. I just hope we can support our own. We are trying our best to put Nigeria on a global map. We need just little support. Don’t destroy our efforts.”
“We are a proud Nigerian airline. We believe as a company that the airline belongs to Nigeria.”
Air Peace launches Lagos to London first-class flight ticket
Earlier, Legit reported that Air Peace announced a first-class option for its Lagos-London route that can be paid in naira or pounds.
The airline said the option will allow passengers to enjoy fully reclining seats, private entertainment systems, meals, and priority boarding.
The airline also added that the new offering aims to come with different packages, which include Lounge access in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
