Domestic airfares rise 66% within a month
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Domestic airfares have risen 66.36 per cent in the past one year, according the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in its latest report titled, ‘Transport Fare Watch (February 2023)’.
Average fare for specified routes single journey dipped 0.18 per cent month-on-month (MoM) from N74,702.70 in January 2023 to N74,571.62 in February.
But it rose 66.36 per cent year-on-year (YoY) from N44,825.04 in February 2022.
The report also shows average fare paid by commuters for bus journeys within cities per drop reduced 0.47 per cent in February 2023 to N647.66 from N650.70 in January.
YoY, average fare jumped 26.07 per cent from N513.72 in February 2022.
For bus intercity per drop, average fare paid by commuters dropped 0.19 per cent MoM or N3,990.70 in February 2023, compared with N3,998.42 in January.
It increased 4.02 per cent YoY from N3,836.45 in February 2022.
According to the NBS, average fare paid for Okada (motorcycle taxi) transport was N461.28 in February 2023, which was 1.07 per cent less than the amount in January, per reporting by The PUNCH.
“On a year-on-year basis, the fare rose by 21.67 per cent when compared with February 2022 (N379.12),” the report said.
“In addition, the average fare paid for water transport (waterway passenger transportation) in February 2023 stood at N1,029.47, showing an increase of 12.74 per cent on a year-on-year basis from N913.13 in February 2022.
“On a month-on-month basis, it declined by 0.33 per cent from N1,032.84 in January 2023.”
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Airfares double to N73,000 in one year
Airfares had nearly doubled from N37,000 from November 2021 (M11 2021) to N73,000 (M11 2022) according to the NBS but the 97.90 per cent official rise skirted over the reality on the ground.
Tickets for one way flights lasting just one hour on most domestic carriers rose from N50,000 in March to N74,000 in October and around N150,000 in December due to high operational costs, scarcity of aviation fuel, poor airport facilities, among others.
The “Transport Fare Watch (November 2022)” of the NBS said average airfare rose from N37,022.97 in November 2021 to N73,267.57 in November 2022.
“In air travels fare, the average fare paid by air passengers for specified routes single journey, increased by 0.09 per cent on a month-on-month from N73,198.65 in October 2022 to N73,267.57 in November 2022.
“On a year-on-year [YoY], the fare rose by 97.90 per cent from N37,022.97 in November 2021,” it disclosed.
Bus journey fares
The report also showed average fare paid by commuters for bus journeys within the city per drop increased 0.12 per cent MoM from N636.30 in October 2022 to N637.10 in November.
Average fare paid by commuters for bus journeys within the city per drop rose 42.69 per cent from N446.50 in November 2021.
Average fare paid by commuters for bus journey intercity per drop hiked to N3,848.48 in November 2022, an increase of 0.07 per cent MoM compared with N3,845.81 in October 2022.
The fare rose 5.53 per cent from N2,644.50 in November 2021.