Allen Onyema, Chairman of Air Peace, has defended Nigerian airlines amid public outrage and regulatory scrutiny over high airfares during the Christmas period, particularly on Southeast routes. He insisted that entry fares still start from ₦150,000, rejecting claims of fare exploitation and coordinated price fixing.
In an interview with Arise News on Sunday, Onyema said, “The bashing of Nigerian airlines has got to stop and it’s very painful when it is coming from government agencies that are supposed to know better.” He described terms like “exploitative” as “very, very unfair” and questioned the basis of such allegations.
Explaining operational realities, Onyema highlighted that flights to the Southeast during festive periods often return nearly empty, placing the financial burden on airlines. He dismissed comparisons with past Air Peace evacuation flights, noting, “When we intervened in those places, lives were at risk,” unlike regular passenger flights.
Addressing claims that fares uniformly sell for ₦400,000–₦500,000, Onyema stressed that pricing depends on demand and booking time, saying, “You can sit on the same aircraft with somebody who paid ₦125,000, and you can also sit with someone who paid ₦350,000. It graduates. That is the standard in aviation.”
He also cited high operating costs, including wet-lease arrangements and statutory charges, explaining that 65–70% of ticket revenue often goes to taxes and levies rather than the airlines. Onyema concluded, “We are the sacrificial lamb. Everybody is sacrificing the airlines… it is very unfortunate that Nigerian airlines are being bashed.”
