Some Domestic Airlines` Executive Officers have said that the hike of airfares was long overdue.

The officers made the assertion in separate interviews, on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to them, some charges to be paid by the airlines had skyrocketed, while most maintenance services were paid with foreign exchange.

The Managing Director of Aero Contractors, Capt. Mahmoud Abdullahi, who said that air fares’ hike was overdue, maintained that the fuel price had kept increasing, with some service providers increasing their tariff by more than 250 per cent.

“ The airline fare hike is long overdue, as you are aware of the increase in fuel price and forex.

“Additionally, of recent, the service providers, SAHCOL and NAHCO, increased their tariff by 250-300 per cent; at the international airport it is even a 500 per cent increase.

“Fares that you see now have always been in the airlines inventory. What airlines do is to close lower bucket fares and open next fare bucket, but those lower fares are still in the airlines’ inventory, “ he said.

According to Abdullahi, although airlines may experience low patronage, they have to survive.

The managing director said that every move by the airline was in the interest of safety.

He pointed out that airline income was in naira, while most of their expenditure was in forex.

“Regulators play a very good role in pricing. If an airline price its ticket so low, regulators have to investigate to find out how this airline can meet its obligations with the price that it is charging.

“They have to make sure the airline does not cut corners on maintenance, “ he said.

Abdullahi explained that no airline would intentionally delay or cancel flights, but due to variables including; weather, technical, airport facilities, sunset, the airport, among others.

The Azman General Manager, Mr Suleiman Lawan, who also spoke said, said that it had reached a time when the air fares could no longer remain the same as before.

According to him, aircraft handling was different from other transportation systems.

He stated that the tickets started from N27, 500 up to N35, 000, before reaching about N50, 000 now.

“Every day you have to plan for importing spare parts, which is in US dollars and you cannot get such money from the government; it’s only from parallel market. Also A-jet fuel is in the higher price.

“Handlers have increased their charges, even the government has increased their charges. So, based on the above explanation how can airlines survive the situation.

“Apart from that, they have so many responsibilities to handle, including payments of salaries, aircraft checks out of Nigeria, for which they have to get the money from the same parallel market,“ he said.

Lawan urged the government to assist airlines in some of their responsibilities.

According to him, the airlines are looking for a break through and not even making profits.

Also speaking with said, the Max Air Executive Director, Mr Harish Manwani, said that the airlines ought to increase the fare in order to cope with the daily expenses of sustaining their operations.

Manwani noted that that was the only way to go for now.

He noted that Max Air hardly delayed or cancelled flights, except for extra ordinary weather conditions.

“Even with low turnout, the airline has flights flown on its routes across the country, “ he said

An Aviation Expert, retied Group Capt. John Ojikutu, urged the public and the responsible authorities to have interest in the airlines` makeup areas for the sustenance of their operations.

Ojikutu said he had expected the hike in the air fare about 10 years ago

“Selling air ticket at a naira rate less than $100 for a flight of one hour makes no economic sense in Nigeria, where over 20 years ago $100 was the fare.

“Aviation fuel was being refined in the country around 1999, whereas for well over 10 years, we have been importing fuel.

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“Naira exchange has grown steadily from N180 to N360, N400, and now over N500 to a dollar and our airlines are still selling tickets at N26,000 or rear cases N30,000 even when we are importing fuel,“ he said.

Some air travellers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), who also spoke, appealed to the Federal Government to intervene in the recent airfare increases.

According to them, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) was responsible for approving the ticket fares of each operator submitted to it after due consideration.

“ That includes the airlines operators, airports operator (FAAN) ground handling companies, among others. Determining the cost of fares and charges by operators is the designated responsibility of the NCAA. (NAN)