RACKETEERING…Air Passengers Lament As Touts Take Over Ticketing
Airfares are soaring daily in the country as touts have taken over ticketing and flight booking in some airports.
LEADERSHIP reports that despite passengers paying a princely N250,000 for a one-hour flight, for instance, from Lagos to Abuja, fare hikes, flight delays, and cancellations continue unabated at the nation’s airports, especially Lagos and Abuja.
Stakeholders in the aviation sector have blamed the nuisance of racketeering on the reduction in the fleet of local airlines operating, which may have led to an increase in ticket prices and racketeering among airline staff and touts at the airports.
reports that despite passengers paying a princely N250,000 for a one-hour flight, for instance, from Lagos to Abuja, fare hikes, flight delays, and cancellations continue unabated at the nation’s airports, especially Lagos and Abuja.
Stakeholders in the aviation sector have blamed the nuisance of racketeering on the reduction in the fleet of local airlines operating, which may have led to an increase in ticket prices and racketeering among airline staff and touts at the airports.
KICNEWS gathered that the reduction in local airlines’ fleets was due to an increase in the number of grounded aircraft of different operators due to volatility in the foreign exchange, as well as Dana Airline’s suspension by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)
According to experts, the number of airline passengers has remained the same in the last year, and airline seats have shrunk due to the challenges bedeviling the sector.
This development has further reduced the number of serviceable aircraft in the country, which has led to ticket racketeering as fewer seats are available for thousands of airline passengers across the country.
