KEY POINTS

• FCCPC identified airline price manipulation during festive peak.
• Fare gaps reached up to N405,000 on some routes.
• Commission reviewing possible breaches of competition law.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has identified patterns of airline price manipulation during the December 2025 festive season, raising concerns about competition and consumer protection in Nigeria’s aviation sector.

In an interim report released Thursday, the commission said preliminary analysis showed that ticket fares during the holiday peak were materially higher than post-peak levels in January 2026, despite relative stability in aviation fuel prices, government taxes and foreign exchange rates.

The review, conducted by the commission’s Department of Surveillance and Investigations, followed an industry-wide probe announced in January.

Airline Price Manipulation Findings

According to the FCCPC, data obtained from domestic carriers revealed that fare increases coincided with predictable seasonal demand and reduced seat availability. On some high-density routes, peak fares were clustered within narrow bands across operators, a pattern the agency said may suggest coordinated behaviour.

“For instance, on certain corridors such as Abuja–Port Harcourt, peak fares were several times higher than corresponding post-peak levels,” the report stated, noting that on selected routes the difference in a single ticket price reached about N405,000.

The commission said the pricing disparities appeared linked to discretionary yield management and capacity allocation rather than external cost pressures.

However, it acknowledged that fleet utilisation, scheduling constraints and seasonal demand could also influence pricing, adding that these factors remain under review.

Possible Legal Breaches, Wider Probe

FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman Tunji Bello said the interim findings form part of the agency’s statutory mandate to promote fair competition.

“This assessment is intended to provide clarity on pricing behaviour during predictable peak travel periods,” he said, stressing that the report does not constitute a final determination.

The commission cited potential relevance of provisions under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018, including those addressing restraint of competition, abuse of dominance and price-fixing.

Bello said the probe would extend to foreign carriers amid complaints that Nigerian travellers pay higher fares than passengers in neighbouring countries on comparable routes.

The Airlines Operators of Nigeria rejected the findings. Spokesperson Obiora Okonkwo said the FCCPC lacks expertise in airline pricing and warned that regulatory intervention could undermine domestic operators. The commission said it will decide on any enforcement or regulatory action after completing its full review.