FCCPC set to sanction five airlines over alleged price fixing

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 travel period.

The development was disclosed by Sunday Dare, Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication to Bola Tinubu, in a post on the social media platform X on Thursday.

According to Dare, the findings were revealed by Tunji Bello during a State House “Meet the Press” session after the commission concluded preliminary investigations into the sharp rise in airfares during the festive season.

Investigation into festive airfare spikes

The probe followed widespread complaints from passengers about unusually high ticket prices on several domestic routes during the 2025 Christmas holidays.

Airfares on some routes reportedly surged to between ₦405,000 and ₦600,000 during the peak travel period, prompting the FCCPC to investigate potential anti-competitive practices within the aviation sector.

According to the preliminary findings, the regulator uncovered patterns suggesting price manipulation among some airlines during the period.

The commission is expected to impose sanctions on the airlines involved, although their identities have not yet been publicly disclosed.

Passengers who paid inflated fares during the affected period may also become eligible for refunds once the investigation is concluded and enforcement measures are implemented.

Airlines reject allegations

The investigation began after the FCCPC released an interim report in February that analysed airfare data during the December 2025 holiday period.

The report compared ticket prices during the festive travel surge with fares recorded in January 2026 and identified unusual pricing patterns linked to peak demand.

However, the Airlines Operators of Nigeria rejected the regulator’s claims, arguing that higher fares during festive periods are normal industry practice driven by demand, limited seat availability, and rising operational costs.

Meanwhile, Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has previously stated that the federal government cannot directly control airline ticket prices because Nigeria’s aviation market operates under a deregulated pricing system.

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Industry experts have also noted that airfares typically rise during peak seasons due to factors such as late bookings, limited aircraft capacity, exchange rate pressures, and high global aviation fuel costs.