Travel Agencies Welcome Airfare Pricing Probe

The President of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies, (NANTA) Mrs Susan Akporiaye, has welcomed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s plan to investigate airfare pricing in Nigeria.

NANTA had called on the Federal Ministry of Aviation, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, and the National Assembly Committee on Aviation to wade into the issue of exorbitant airfares in the country that had made life difficult for the Nigerian travelling public and impacting negatively on the survival of travel trade professionals in the country.

According to Akporiaye, NANTA is elated by the response of the Federal Government through its consumer protection and regulatory agency to wade into the matter.

In a recent interview, the NANTA president said, “We want to appreciate the government through the Executive Vice Chairman of FCCPC,  Babatunde Irukera, who has assured the sector that investigations would commence into the present structure of airfares in Nigeria and bring it to an acceptable regime,” she stated.

Akporiaye described Irukera’s announcement as “a Christmas and New Year gift” to travel agents, who had borne the backlash of the fare hike by airlines operating in the country.

“This is it, and we want to appreciate Mr President for gifting us an FCCPC, headed by a thorough professional. And to this end, we will endeavour to help the regulatory authority with whatever information that can help bring back sanity to fare management issues and give some respite to our Nigerian customers,” she said.