The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) said it has uncovered patterns of price manipulation by some local airlines during the December 2025 festive season.
The Commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, said the findings are contained in an interim report released on Thursday by the Commission’s Department of Surveillance and Investigations.
The review began in January as part of an industry-wide investigation and relied on data from airlines operating domestic routes, Ijagwu disclosed in a statement.
The report compared fares during the December peak with prices recorded in the post-peak period of January 2026.
Preliminary analysis, according to the statement, showed fares during the festive period were significantly higher than post-peak levels across several routes, despite stable fuel prices, government taxes and foreign exchange rates. The differences appear to result from arbitrary airline pricing decisions, including yield management and capacity allocation, rather than changes in regulatory fees.
The statement added that on high-demand routes, higher fares coincided with reduced seat availability, while peak prices were clustered within narrow ranges across multiple airlines. For example, Abuja–Port Harcourt fares during the peak were several times higher than post-peak levels, with single tickets costing up to N405,000. Median fares across sampled routes also rose sharply during the festive period.
The report noted that seasonal demand, scheduling constraints and fleet utilisation may also influence peak travel pricing. These factors will remain under review as part of the Commission’s ongoing investigation.
Reacting to the interim report, FCCP’sC Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, Mr. Tunji Bello, said: “This assessment is intended to provide clarity on pricing behaviour during predictable peak travel periods. The Commission’s role is not to disrupt legitimate commercial activity, but to ensure that market outcomes remain consistent with competition and consumer protection principles under the law.”
He added that further structural and route-level analysis is underway before the Commission reaches any conclusions.
“It is important to emphasise that this is an interim report. Our next action will be dictated by full facts established at the end of the review exercise. Then, the Commission will decide whether any regulatory guidance, engagement or enforcement steps are necessary, strictly in accordance with the law,” Mr. Bello said.
The report references Sections 59, 72, 107, 108, 124 and 127 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018, which cover offences including price-fixing, abuse of dominant position, and unfair or unreasonable contract terms.
Bello also confirmed that foreign airlines will be investigated next, following complaints about exploitative fares on some international routes compared with neighbouring countries.