Airfare Hike: Domestic Flight Prices Climb To ₦98,561, Marking 25% Annual Increase

Domestic air travel costs in Nigeria saw a significant increase in July 2024, with fares rising by 25% compared to the same period last year, according to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

In its Transport Fare Watch Report for July, the NBS revealed that the average domestic airfare for a single journey jumped to ₦98,561.74, up from ₦78,775.74 in July 2023.

The report also highlighted a 9.65% increase in fares from June to July 2024.

The rise in airfares comes amid the federal government’s recent decision to increase tax charges, despite ongoing concerns from the Airline Operators of Nigeria regarding multiple taxation.

Interestingly, while airfares surged, prices for other modes of transportation, such as bus, motorcycle, and waterway journeys, saw a decline during the same period.

According to the NBS, the average cost of a bus ride within cities decreased by 2.18% from ₦963.58 in June 2024 to ₦942.61 in July 2024.

Year-on-year, this represents a 29.46% drop from ₦1,336.29 in July 2023. Intercity bus travel saw a slight month-on-month increase of 0.35%, with fares rising to ₦7,117.17 in July 2024.

Motorcycle (Okada) transportation fares increased marginally by 1.22% to ₦483.33 in July 2024, although this marked a 25.20% decrease compared to July 2023.

Waterway transportation fares also saw a slight monthly decline of 0.44%, with the average fare standing at ₦1,403.06 in July 2024.

In terms of regional variations, Anambra State recorded the highest intercity bus fares at ₦9,566.89, followed by Gombe with ₦8,299.44. Kwara and Ebonyi States had the lowest fares at ₦5,518.38 and ₦5,596.11, respectively.

Within-city bus fares were highest in Taraba State, where passengers paid an average of ₦1,457.28 per drop, while Adamawa and Abia States recorded the lowest fares at ₦500.00 and ₦505.35, respectively.