SHORTAGE OF AIRCRAFT,PASSENGERS TO PAY MORE AT EASTER

As Nigerians are making plans for the Easter holiday celebration, the Airlines are increasing their flight ticket due to rush and shortage of aircraft .

Some plan to travel to see families and friends this Easter holiday may be in for some difficulty as flight delays, cancellations and fare hike are expected due to shortage of aircraft in operations.

A phone  call conversation with a staff of an Airline, He started that During the COVID-19 lockdown that lasted about five months, airline operators had over 120 planes parked, and a few months after flights resumed, over 50 percent of these aircraft are due for maintenance, forcing operators to either park them or take them out for compulsory maintenance.

In addition due to the  COVID-19 ,some of these countries are still under COVID-19 lockdowns, making it difficult for operators to get their planes back when due.

This may not go down well with passengers whose flights may be delayed or cancelled as airlines struggle to feed several routes using the fewer fleet at their disposal.

AIG MEDIA PRO  source  said ,this sharp drop in aircraft fleet is causing rise in airfares. Few weeks after airfares dropped in the Nigerian market, tickets have once again risen sharply on the domestic routes with most airlines charging over N55,000 for a one-way ticket, against N25,000 sold a month ago.

Most of the seats on frequently visited destinations such as Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Owerri between Friday and Sunday are “sold out” because of the Easter  holiday  rush