*Aero Contractors retains promo fares, begins ‘12 days of Christmas’ marketing campaign*Ibom to broaden regional operations in 2025
Amid the value row between operators and the Federal Competitors and Client Safety Fee (FCCPC), native airways have rolled out premium airfares for the festive season.
On some conventional high-traffic routes, a number of operators have jacked up fares to promote between N143,000 and N314,000 for an hour flight – relying on the airline and house availability.
Nevertheless, Aero Contractors Airways has retained its promo fare of N80,000-plus per one-way financial system class ticket, with extra client advantages within the ‘12 days of Christmas’ marketing campaign.
A random test by The Guardian yesterday confirmed a number of flights connecting Lagos and Abuja to the South and Jap locations virtually absolutely booked. Obtainable seats are actually supplied at a premium.
As an example, the most important service within the nation, Air Peace, has flights to locations like Anambra at N143,000, N162,000, N238,000, N285,800 and N314,000, relying on the flight date.
Its counterpart, United Nigeria Airways, presents out there seats on the Abuja-Anambra route for N125,500 and N300,000. Akwa Ibom State-owned service, Ibom Air, retains N152,000 on the Abuja-Uyo route. A one-way ticket on Valujet from Lagos to Port Harcourt between December 18 and 20, 2024, prices N164,761.
The operators earlier warned of additional value spikes because the festive peak interval approaches, which have drawn the ire of the FCCPC.
The Chief Working Officer (COO) of Air Peace, Toyin Olajide, bemoaned the excessive working price, saying the airline alone spends over N14 million to execute a one-hour flight, of which the price of aviation gasoline accounts for 60-65 per cent.
“One litre of gasoline is N1,400. If I’ve to function a one-hour flight from right here to Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Owerri, I’ll use about 4,000 litres of gasoline.
“So, on common, a one-hour flight prices N7 million on gasoline alone. Additionally, ACMI (upkeep) prices $4,000 for leased planes, contemplating the challenges we’re at the moment dealing with,” Olajide stated.
Although coming from the identical trade, Aero Contractors has added to its promo presents the “12 Days of Christmas” marketing campaign to present again to households, mates, and communities between 13 and 24 December 2024.
The “12 Days of Christmas” marketing campaign invitations journey fans, loyal clients, and vacation travellers to take part in enjoyable and interactive actions on Aero Contractors’ social media platforms, together with Instagram, Fb, and X (previously Twitter).
Managing Director of Aero Contractors, Capt. Ado Sanusi, stated Aero Contractors believes within the energy of togetherness, particularly through the holidays.
“Our ‘12 Days of Christmas’ marketing campaign is our approach of giving again to the group that has supported us all year long. It’s a possibility to interact, have a good time, and reward our clients whereas spreading pleasure and festive cheer,” Sanusi stated.
In a associated improvement, Ibom Air has concluded plans so as to add three new Central African locations in 2025, constructing on its sole current intra-African route between Lagos and Accra.’
Ibom Air’s COO, George Uriesi, advised Aviation Week of extra locations within the offing.
Uriesi stated: “We began with Lagos-Accra a couple of yr in the past, and beginning subsequent yr, we’re going to broaden to 2 or three different regional locations.”
The previous Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) stated these three central African locations could be added throughout 2025, however he declined to call the locations simply but. The routes shall be “intertwined,” which means they may function as stops relatively than direct companies.
Ibom Air flies to seven locations—six home and one intra-African—utilizing a fleet of seven CRJ900s and two Airbus A220-300s.
It has 9 extra A220-300s scheduled to reach by 2028, and the corporate is planning to transition to an all-A220 fleet.
Uriesi stated Ibom Air has a mean load issue of almost 90 per cent, and the CRJ900s are too small to satisfy the demand.
The A220s have ample vary for Ibom Air to fly to locations like Cairo (Egypt), Cape City (South Africa) and Casablanca (Morocco). However, not like different African carriers, Ibom Air has no ambitions of branching out into long-haul flights.
“Let the Ethiopians and the Egyptians do all that,” Uriesi stated. “We are going to keep in Africa.”
Ibom Air prioritises maximising load elements and frequencies relatively than chasing market share or new locations.
Six Ibom Air’s locations are home inside Nigeria, working alongside one regional path to Ghana.
“Our technique is to not broaden and stretch ourselves skinny however to keep up our footprint the place we now have frequencies. “We have now seven locations proper now, and we’ve saved these seven locations now for the final three years,” he stated. “It doesn’t comply with that we now have extra aeroplanes, so let’s go to different locations. No, we broaden granularly, and we offer frequencies.”
