Air Peace to increase domestic flight fares effective November 1 amid hardship

The Nigerian flying public is set to witness a rise in domestic airfares from one of Nigeria’s major airlines, Air Peace, effective November 1, 2024.

Trueteells Nigeria gathered this information from a viral internal memo, purportedly from Air Peace, circulating on social media.

According Nairametrics a source, who is a senior staff of the airline and wished to remain anonymous confirmed.

The source clarified that the memo was intended for private partners but was unintentionally leaked to the public.

“Our intention was for the memo to remain strictly within our network of private partners, but it unfortunately leaked. Indeed, the fare review will take effect from November 1, 2024,” the anonymous source from Air Peace told Nairametrics.

The memo reads in part:

“This is to inform you that our domestic fares have been reviewed. The new fares are effective for flights from 1st November 2024. The previous fares remain available for flights up to 31st October 2024.” 

According to the new fare structure, business class under booking class “J” will rise from 250,000 to 400,000, reflecting a 60% increase, while class “C” will increase from 200,000 to 330,000, a 65% hike.

Economy class fares will also experience substantial adjustments, with class “Y” increasing from 150,100 to 300,000, representing a 100% increase. Other economy fares will range between 120,000 and 210,000, highlighting varied adjustments across categories.

The memo confirmed that existing fares will remain valid for flights booked on or before October 31.

Additionally, all new fares will be refundable, with no change fees applied to modified bookings. However, the no-show fee has been increased from 10,000 to 15,000 to promote better booking management.

More insight

The following table outlines the cabin classes, booking categories, and the old and new fare structures, as detailed in the leaked memo:

Domestic Fare Review 

Cabin	BOOKING CLASS	OLD FARE (₦)	NEW FARE (₦)
Business	J	250,000	400,000
Business	C	200,000	330,000
Economy	Y	150,100	300,000
Economy	S	130,000	280,000
Economy	B	120,000	250,000
Economy	H	110,200	210,000
Economy	K	105,200	190,000
Economy	L	90,000	170,000
Economy	M	85,000	150,000
Economy	N	80,000	120,000
Economy	T	70,000	100,000
No Show Fee	ALL	10,000	15,000

These fare changes come amid a challenging operating environment for airlines in Nigeria. Domestic carriers are grappling with rising operational costs, limited access to foreign exchange, currency depreciation, and fluctuating fuel prices.

As these economic pressures persist, frequent domestic travelers may need to adjust to the new pricing landscape, which could further impact demand on key routes.

While the fare adjustments aim to sustain operations, they reflect the broader financial difficulties airlines face across the country, with carriers seeking ways to maintain efficiency despite rising costs. As of now, Air Peace has not issued an official public statement on the leaked memo.