Travel/Tourism
Festive Travel Surge: FCCPC Flags Fare Manipulation by Airlines
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) says its investigation uncovered how airlines manipulated flight fares and fixed prices arbitrarily during the last Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
The findings, contained in an interim report released on Thursday by the commission’s department of surveillance and investigations, compared domestic airline pricing from the December 2025 festive period with post-peak January 2026 fare levels.
The FCCPC, in a statement signed by its director of corporate affairs, Mr Ondaje Ijagwu, said it established cases of price fixing by local airlines, documented abuse during the festive season, and would soon begin a probe of foreign airlines, following its ongoing country-wide investigation, which was announced earlier in January.
“A review undertaken by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has uncovered patterns of price manipulation perpetrated by some local airlines during the last festive season. The forensic exercise benefitted from data collated by the commission from airlines operating local routes in the country,” the report said.
The report compares domestic airline pricing from the December 2025 festive period with post-peak January 2026 fare levels.
The FCCPC’s preliminary analysis indicated that fares recorded during the December peak period were materially higher than those observed in the post-peak period across several routes despite relative stability in critical operating variables such as fuel price, government taxes and foreign exchange.
“The differences observed in fares therefore appear to reflect airlines’ arbitrary pricing decisions, including yield management and capacity allocation, rather than any variation in regulatory fees,” the report said.
It also noted that route-level analysis showed that higher fares coincided with periods of reduced seat availability during predictable seasonal demand peaks. On some high-density routes, peak fares were clustered within relatively narrow ranges across several operators.
It noted that on certain corridors, such as Abuja-Port Harcourt, peak fares were several times higher than corresponding post-peak levels. “On selected routes, the difference in the price of a single ticket reached approximately N405,000. Median fares across the sampled routes also rose markedly during the festive window when compared with post-peak benchmarks,” it said.
The report identified the relevance of Sections 59, 72, 107, 108, 124 and 127 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018, which address the prohibition of agreements in restraint of competition, the prohibition of abuse of a dominant position, the offence of price-fixing, conspiracy to commit offences under the Act, the right to fair dealings, and the prohibition of unfair, unreasonable or unjust contract terms.
The FCCPC, however, recognised that seasonal demand pressures, scheduling constraints and fleet utilisation might also affect pricing during the peak travel period. It added that these actors remain under consideration as part of the commission’s ongoing review.
Commenting on the release of the interim report, the executive vice chairman and chief executive officer of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello, said the review was part of the commission’s statutory responsibility to promote competitive markets and safeguard consumers.
“This assessment is intended to provide clarity on pricing behaviour during predictable peak travel periods. The Commission’s role is not to disrupt legitimate commercial activity, but to ensure that market outcomes remain consistent with competition and consumer protection principles under the law,” Mr Bello said.
He noted that the commission was conducting further structural and route-level analysis before reaching any conclusions.
“It is important to emphasise that this is an interim report. Our next action will be dictated by the full facts established at the end of the review exercise. Then, the Commission will decide whether any regulatory guidance, engagement or enforcement steps are necessary, strictly in accordance with the law,” he said.
Bello further announced that foreign airlines would come under investigation by the FCCPC once the ongoing review of local airlines was concluded.
He noted that the probe of the foreign airlines would be in view of widespread complaints of exploitative fares they allegedly charge Nigerians on certain routes compared to fares in neighbouring countries of equal distance.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A new campaign designed to celebrate its passengers across the globe has been launched by Emirates Skywards, a statement from the company confirmed.
The promotion is known as Season of Rewards, and will run from May 21 to August 31, 2026, with beneficiaries getting different rewards for their patronage.
The Skywards Season of Rewards offers more savings with Cash+Miles on Emirates and flydubai, with members unlocking twice the savings, including enhanced Cash+Miles rates across the Emirates and flydubai network when booking flights and extras (excess baggage, lounge access and seat selection. The offer applies across all classes of travel, fare brands and destinations on both airlines. With the limited-time offer, 2,000 Skywards Miles can unlock savings of $30 instead of $15.
In addition, passengers will receive extra tier benefits for travel up until August 31, 2026. Members earn a 20 per cent bonus Tier Miles on every Emirates or flydubai flight, helping members move through the tiers faster. With reduced Tier Miles required during this period, it’s now even easier for members to renew or upgrade their membership status.
Also, they will get 50 per cent bonus Miles with travel partners, including Emirates Skywards Hotels, Marriott Bonvoy, IHG Hotels and Resorts, Jumeirah and more. However, registration is required to participate, and bonus Miles will be credited within 60 days after the end of the offer period.
Further, Skywards members can book their next reward flight and extras with Miles, starting from 4,500 Miles instead of 9,000 Miles during the promo period across all routes, cabins and fares.
“Skywards Season of Rewards reflects our continued commitment to creating even more value for our members worldwide.
“Whether members are planning a family holiday, a Dubai stopover, a weekend escape, or simply looking to maximise rewards across their travel spend – this initiative unlocks more opportunities to earn, save and experience the world with Emirates Skywards,” the DSVP Emirates Skywards, Nejib Ben Khedher, said.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Members of the public, especially those using the Nigerian airports, have been assured of the efficiency of the robust preventive measures being put in place across all international airports in response to the recent Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) situation in parts of Central Africa.
This assurance was given by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in a statement issued by its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mr Henry Agbebire.
FAAN said it has intensified surveillance and monitoring of passengers, particularly those arriving from high-risk regions.
This, it stated, is being done in close collaboration with Port Health Services, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), and other relevant agencies.
It was emphasised that passengers are being screened for symptoms associated with Ebola, and any suspected case will be promptly isolated and subjected to secondary health checks in line with established national and international health protocols.
In addition, the agency said it has strengthened coordination with relevant stakeholders, enhanced staff sensitisation, and reinforced emergency response procedures to ensure swift action where necessary.
“While there is currently no confirmed case of Ebola in Nigeria, FAAN remains vigilant and fully committed to safeguarding public health and maintaining safe airport operations.
“Passengers are advised to remain calm, comply with health screening procedures, and report any symptoms to health officials,” the statement said.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
In a move aimed at improving passenger clearance, compliance and customs operations, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has introduced the Simplified Customs Advanced Declaration System (SCADS).
This platform was launched at the International Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Monday, May 18, 2026.
This initiative will simplify baggage declaration for inbound international passengers and reduce manual bottlenecks, improve transparency in revenue assessment and enhance operational efficiency at Nigeria’s international airports.
It allows passengers to declare items before arrival, thereby reducing clearance time while improving compliance and operational integrity.
The introduction of this scheme became necessary following operational challenges encountered on the Service’s previous passenger declaration platform earlier this year, and rather than allow the setbacks to slow operations, customs chose to develop a stronger and more efficient alternative.
“When the earlier platform experienced operational challenges, we chose not to see it as a setback. We saw it as an opportunity to build something better, stronger and more efficient.
“For passengers, this system creates the opportunity for advance declaration before arrival. It means faster clearance, easier compliance and smoother movement through our airports,” the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of ICT/Modernisation, Ms Oluyomi Adebakin, said yesterday.
She noted that the system will eliminate subjective revenue assessment by ensuring that duties are automatically generated based on declared items, their quantities, and their actual values.
“When we talk about revenue collection, it is not about collecting more or less. It is about collecting the right revenue. With this system, assessment will now be more objective, accurate and driven by data,” she stated.
Earlier, the Customs Area Controller for FCT Area Command, Comptroller Victoria Alibo, described the selection of the command for the pilot phase as a vote of confidence in its operational capacity.
According to her, the new platform integrates passenger baggage and e-commerce declarations into a single digital framework designed to support global Customs best practices.
“SCADS is designed to simplify declarations, reduce clearance time, eliminate manual bottlenecks and align our operations with international standards,” Ms Alibo said, adding that the pilot phase will run for five days, from Monday, May 18, to Friday, May 22, 2026, during which officers will evaluate the system in a live environment ahead of nationwide deployment.
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