By Ayo Kehinde 
Nigerians planning to travel for Christmas are facing steep increases in domestic airfares, with ticket prices on some routes rising by more than 200 percent as airlines prepare for the festive-season rush.
Findings from airline booking platforms show that economy tickets on routes connecting Lagos and Abuja to destinations in the South-East and South-South have climbed to between ₦196,000 and ₦337,500 for December 20 and 21, 2026.
The fares represent significant increases from prices listed for November 9, when tickets on some of the routes ranged between ₦106,000 and ₦143,000.
Aero Contractors recorded one of the steepest increases on the Lagos-Asaba route, raising its economy fare from ₦106,286 on November 9 to ₦327,940 for December 20, representing an increase of approximately 208 percent.
Air Peace also listed its Lagos-Asaba economy ticket at ₦337,500 for December 21, up from ₦118,400 on November 9. Its business-class ticket on the route stood at ₦432,700.
On the Abuja-Enugu route, Air Peace’s economy fare increased from ₦116,400 to ₦335,500, representing a rise of about 188 percent.
United Nigeria Airlines’ Lagos-Benin fare also climbed from ₦120,000 to ₦310,500, while Aero Contractors’ Abuja-Benin ticket increased from ₦117,627 to ₦196,522.
The increases were less pronounced on some routes. Ibom Air’s Lagos-Uyo economy fare, for instance, rose from ₦143,200 to ₦200,300, while its Abuja-Uyo service was listed at ₦200,100 for December 21.
Other destinations affected by the seasonal increases include Port Harcourt, Owerri and Ebonyi, as travellers face higher costs during the peak holiday period.
The rising fares have renewed concerns about the affordability of domestic air travel, particularly for Nigerians who rely on flights to visit family members during Christmas and New Year.
For many passengers, the increases leave fewer affordable options, especially where road travel is considered unsafe or impractical.
The latest price increases also come amid regulatory concerns about airline pricing during peak travel periods.
In January 2026, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission accused some domestic airlines of price-fixing during the 2025 Yuletide period.
The commission’s Executive Vice Chairman, Tunji Bello, said preliminary investigations showed that airfares had risen to between ₦405,000 and ₦600,000 during the period.
Subsequent findings by the FCCPC indicated that fares during the December peak were substantially higher than post-holiday prices on several routes, despite relative stability in major operating costs, including aviation fuel, government taxes and foreign exchange.
A passenger, Shayo Adigun, expressed concern about the increases, saying airlines should consider the financial pressure facing households.
“We understand that this always happens, but airlines must please consider the current economy. Things are not easy, and road travel is not possible”, Adigun said.
