The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has reportedly found five airlines guilty of colluding to fix ticket prices during the 2025 Christmas and New Year festive travel period.
The disclosure was made by Sunday Dare, Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication and spokesperson to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, through a post on his official X account on Thursday.
According to Dare, the Executive Vice Chairman of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello, revealed the findings during a State House “Meet the Press” session, where he briefed journalists on the commission’s ongoing investigation into the surge in domestic airfares during the 2025 festive season.
The investigation was launched following widespread public complaints from travellers who reported unusually high ticket prices on several domestic routes during the Christmas and New Year holidays.
In some cases, airfares reportedly rose sharply to between ₦405,000 and ₦600,000, particularly on routes linking major cities to the South-East and South-South regions.
Preliminary findings from the commission suggest that the price increases may not have been entirely driven by market forces. Instead, the FCCPC said it detected patterns indicating possible coordinated pricing behaviour among some airline operators during the peak holiday travel period.
“With its preliminary investigations concluded, the FCCPC is set to sanction about five airlines guilty of colluding to fix prices during the last Christmas/New Year holidays,” Dare quoted Bello as saying during the press briefing.
Although the commission has not yet officially released the names of the airlines involved, officials indicated that regulatory actions may follow once the final report is published. Potential sanctions could include fines or other regulatory penalties, depending on the extent of the violations established.
The commission also hinted that passengers who paid inflated fares during the period under investigation may be eligible for refunds if the allegations of price fixing are confirmed.
The probe forms part of the FCCPC’s broader mandate to protect consumers and ensure fair competition in Nigeria’s marketplace. In February, the commission released an interim report highlighting unusual pricing trends during the December 2025 holiday period.
According to Ondaje Ijagwu, the interim analysis compared ticket prices recorded in December 2025 with fares observed in January 2026 after the peak travel season had subsided.
The report noted that while seasonal demand typically drives fare increases, the magnitude of the hikes observed during the festive period raised concerns about possible anti-competitive practices.
The findings also pointed to a pattern where higher ticket prices coincided with reduced seat availability, a combination that the commission said may have artificially intensified the surge in fares.
However, the allegations have been strongly rejected by the Airlines Operators of Nigeria (AON), the umbrella body representing domestic airline operators.
In response to the FCCPC’s claims, the association argued that airfare fluctuations are a normal feature of the aviation industry and are largely determined by demand, operational costs, and seat availability, particularly during peak travel periods such as Christmas and New Year.
The FCCPC is expected to release its final report in the coming weeks, which will likely provide further details on the investigation, the airlines involved, and the specific sanctions that may be imposed.
The outcome of the probe could have significant implications for consumer protection and pricing transparency within Nigeria’s aviation sector.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission says its investigation has found five airlines guilty of colluding to fix ticket prices during the 2025 Christmas and New Year travel period.
While the airlines involved have not yet been named, the commission is preparing sanctions and has indicated that affected passengers may be eligible for refunds once the final report is released.
