Trapped funds: Travel agencies seek FG intervention over ‘unfair’ ticket pricing by foreign airlines

The National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) has called on the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission ( FCCPC) to proffer solutions to the challenges of airfare profiteering in the aviation sector.

Susan Akporiaye, NANTA’s national president, made the call when she visited FCCPC’s office in Abuja on Thursday.

Akporiaye said the visit was for the association to seek guidance and solution-driven advice on the face-off with foreign airlines over unfair ticket pricing in Nigeria.

The NANTA president said it was high time the association sought guidance and determined the next line of action over foreign airlines’ high fares as well as the closing of lower inventories to travel agents across Nigeria.

She added that these challenges have affected the travel agents’ businesses in several ways as the airlines blame the hike in airfare on their trapped funds.

Akporiaye also said the association was committed to protecting its members and their businesses from any form of exploitation and unfair practices from any quarter.

She further requested the FCCPC to assist NANTA and Nigeria’s travelling public, with remedies to curb the unfair practices in the downstream aviation sector and how best to articulate its position going forward.

“We strongly view from our professional experience and knowledge of fare mechanism, that the reactions of foreign airlines on trapped funds is grossly unfair to the Nigerian travelling public and gravely threatens the survival of NANTA members,” she said.

In his response, Babatunde Irukera, FCCPC vice-chairman, commended NANTA’s leadership for the trust and confidence in government-structured competition and consumer protection ecosystem.

Irukera assured that the commission would engage in necessary interventions which may include inviting parties and stakeholders involved.

“We at FCCPC welcome your request for guidance and will do our best to help determine possible steps to solve this problem which affects Nigerians,” he said. 

“But, we will first put up an investigation team to determine what led to this impasse and possibly infractions against the travelling public.”