Dr Alex Nwuba, President of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and second Vice President of the Aviation Safety Roundtable Initiative, has warned that Nigeria’s aviation industry faces escalating costs that continue to push up ticket prices and strain airline operations.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News on Saturday, Nwuba said the sector’s core problem remains an unsustainable cost structure that burdens both operators and passengers. He explained that multiple taxes, charges, and federal deductions were weighing heavily on the system and worsening fares.
He stated that travellers already face excessive cost components, noting that “over 70 percent of the costs are related to charges and taxes.” He added that “they are all borne by the passenger,” stressing that every layer of cost in the industry eventually falls on ticket buyers.
Nwuba also criticised the federal government’s revenue deductions from aviation agencies, saying it fuels excessive charges that airlines and passengers must absorb.
According to him, “fifty percent of what the airports earn is taken away from the federal government at source to the single treasury account.” He argued that this forces agencies to impose additional fees, which “gets passed on to the consumer as a tax.”
Beyond taxes, Nwuba highlighted the high cost of aviation fuel, calling it a major pressure point. He said, “In Nigeria, we pay 17 percent more for fuel charges, and fuel constitutes over 40 percent of the operating costs of an airline.” He warned that these structural inefficiencies continue to limit competitiveness and make flights more expensive than in neighbouring countries.
On financing, he described funding conditions as crippling for local airlines. He revealed that operators face prohibitive lending terms, saying, “airlines pay 37 percent in financing costs for equipment and funding of the airline.” He added that such rates make sustainable operations nearly impossible.
Nwuba further explained the impact of poor connectivity on the wider economy, especially agriculture. He said “eighty percent is destroyed because of ground transportation infrastructure,” linking the losses directly to Nigeria’s limited aviation and logistics capacity. He also noted that the country uses only a fraction of its available assets, stating, “we only use 10 percent of the airports on the continent.”
He addressed passenger concerns over soaring December fares, explaining that the pricing pattern reflects a balancing act across the year. According to him, airlines raise peak season fares to offset losses recorded during slow periods. He said, “I increase my fares to fill the cost gaps and fill the revenue shortages that will result from this low demand period.”
On the behavioural challenges seen among travellers at airports, Nwuba cited rising passenger frustration, inconsistency in airline procedures, and alcohol consumption as contributing factors. He said unruly conduct often starts when passengers refuse basic instructions, explaining that “people do not obey those instructions. And that is the beginning of unruly behaviour.”
He added that regulators are preparing tougher rules, saying, “Nigerians need to be at their best behaviour because rules are just about to get tougher.” He also addressed concerns about preferential treatment, noting that enforcement must apply equally. He said, “everybody will be sanctioned in the same manner, in a much tougher environment.”
Despite the challenges, Nwuba insisted that reform is achievable. He underscored the need to overhaul the sector’s entire framework, stating that Nigeria must rethink its aviation model to reduce fares and boost efficiency. He said, “we must reimagine our industry. We look at it from the ground up and fix many of the challenges that are surmountable.”
Nwuba maintained that without structural change, rising costs will continue to weaken operators and leave passengers paying the price, further limiting the country’s connectivity and economic potential.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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