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Festive Fare Hike: FCCPC Moves to Sanction Airlines, Orders Possible Refunds to Passengers

Published by Samuel Ayomide on March 13th, 2026.

Seated in Abuja, Nigeria , The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has concluded an investigation into the sharp rise in domestic airfares during the 2025 Christmas travel season and is preparing to sanction several airlines found to have allegedly exploited passengers.

The commission disclosed that the affected carriers may be required to refund travellers who paid inflated ticket prices during the festive rush. The announcement was made by the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the commission, Tunji Bello, while addressing journalists in Abuja.

According to Bello, the inquiry—launched earlier in January—examined pricing patterns adopted by airlines during the Yuletide period and uncovered significant spikes in fares that appeared inconsistent with operating costs at the time.

“Our investigation into airline ticket pricing during the festive period has been completed. The final report will be released soon, and where we find evidence that passengers were unfairly charged, refunds will be demanded from the airlines involved,” Bello said.

Preliminary findings by the commission indicated that airline tickets which normally sold for between ₦145,000 and ₦150,000 suddenly surged to as high as ₦405,000 and ₦600,000 during the Christmas travel window. The FCCPC noted that the dramatic rise occurred despite relative stability in aviation fuel prices, foreign exchange rates and regulatory charges.

The commission’s report suggested that the pricing differences were more likely linked to internal airline strategies such as seat allocation and demand-based pricing rather than cost increases imposed by regulators. Route-level analysis carried out by investigators showed that some high-traffic routes experienced significant fare jumps during peak travel periods when seat availability dropped.

On corridors such as the Abuja–Port Harcourt route, peak ticket prices were several times higher than fares recorded shortly after the festive season. On some routes examined by investigators, the difference in the price of a single ticket during the holiday window reached approximately ₦405,000, while median fares across several routes also rose sharply compared with normal post-holiday benchmarks.

According to reports by The Punch and The Guardian Nigeria, regulators suspect that the pattern of near-similar price increases across multiple airlines may point to possible coordination or collusion aimed at fixing prices during periods of high demand.

Beyond the aviation sector, the FCCPC also issued a warning to fuel marketers, cautioning them against taking advantage of global energy market disruptions to inflate domestic petrol prices. Bello disclosed that monitoring teams from the commission have been deployed nationwide to track price changes in fuel and other essential commodities affected by fluctuations in the global oil market.

“Our monitors are already on the ground observing developments in the market because petrol prices influence the cost of many goods and services Nigerians depend on daily,” he said. “If suppliers reduce prices but filling stations continue selling fuel at excessively high rates, we will ask questions and take necessary enforcement actions.”

According to coverage by Vanguard Newspaper and Channels Television, the commission is working alongside regulators in the petroleum sector to ensure compliance with prevailing market price trends.

Bello also revealed that the sectors generating the highest volume of consumer complaints in Nigeria include electricity supply, financial technology services and telecommunications. Issues involving estimated electricity billing, digital lending platforms, telecom service charges and bank transactions dominate the reports submitted to the commission.

He noted that electricity distribution companies have received numerous complaints from consumers, particularly regarding estimated billing and inconsistent power supply. According to the FCCPC chief, customers placed under the Band A tariff structure—who pay higher electricity tariffs—are entitled to receive at least 20 hours of power supply daily, and the commission intends to ensure that the promised service levels are met.

Officials of the commission further disclosed that between March and August 2025 alone, more than 9,000 consumer complaints were successfully resolved, leading to financial recoveries exceeding ₦10 billion for affected Nigerians. The FCCPC receives over 25,000 complaints annually through multiple channels including digital platforms, phone calls, petitions and social media reports.

The commission encouraged Nigerians to formally report cases of consumer rights violations instead of merely expressing dissatisfaction informally. An FCCPC official noted that many citizens often complain privately without filing official reports, which limits regulatory intervention.

As the commission prepares to publish the final findings of its investigation into airline ticket pricing during the 2025 festive season, the outcome could have far-reaching implications for consumer protection and pricing practices within Nigeria’s aviation industry.