A coalition of Civil Society Organisations, the National Civil Society Council of Nigeria (NCSCN), Wednesday, reacted to the ongoing pricing competition among airline operators in Nigeria, orchestrated by the entry of an indigenous Airline, the Airpeace Airline into the Lagos-London Route.
Recall that Airpeace Airline recently commenced international flight operations from Lagos to London at a highly reduced rate which has shockingly exposed the long years of exploitation of Nigerian travellers by foreign operators and bigger players, which has triggered a pricing war to outwit each other.
NCSCN in a statement issued by its Executive Director, Comrade Blessing A. Akinlosotu, said it had discovered that the majority of the foreign operators on the Lagos/London destination have now drastically slashed fares to the point of charging lower than the Air Peace, just to run this patriotic indigenous operator out of business, and thereafter return to the price hike regime.
It pointed out the numerous interventions of Air Peace for Nigerians at various times of national emergencies and distress, describing Air Peace as the most patriotic and progressive Airline Operator in Nigeria.
“Many Airlines are today forced to lure passengers to book an economy class seat on the Lagos/London route with N907,782 fares as against the over N2 million for the economy they charged before now, British Airways has been forced to slash its fares on the Abuja/London Heathrow to N1,394,536 as against the over N3 million it was formerly charging.
“Now, an economy class ticket on Virgin Atlantic from Lagos to London has been brought down to N980,654,000 as against the N2.353,200 it used to charge”, NCSCN said.
The coalition stated that it was set to swing into action nationwide to frustrate the gang up by the foreign operators to push Air Peace out of the Lagos/London route, calling on the Federal Government and all Nigerians to see this as a national challenge on the economy.
“The Federal Government and all well-meaning Nigerians must rise to save our most patriotic and progressive indigenous operator, the Air Peace from this international Aero-politics by foreign airlines who are seriously threatened by the rising profile and business strategies of a Nigerian Operator with impressive global records of flight operations between Nigeria and other countries like China, UAE, Israel Brazil and South Africa during the pandemic seamlessly”.
“Air Peace has exposed the foreign operators, just like GLO Nigeria did to the foreign Telecom Providers. Who would have imagined the possibility of all foreign operators coming down so low in pricing if not for the entrance and intervention of the Air Peace?
“Air Peace must be protected, rewarded, and honoured for this patriotic gesture. The Civil Society Council hereby calls on all Nigerians to patronise Air Peace irrespective of the deceptive lower pricing of the foreign conspirators, as this will save our Naira and further grow our National Economy.
“All the foreign operators repatriate their profits and funds to home countries, but Air Peace is indigenous and reinvents profits here in Nigeria to the advantage of the Naira.
‘The Council, therefore, appeals passionately to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as an accomplished Businessman himself, to help the Air Peace by granting a waiver of One Year Tax Holiday, which would go a very long way in keeping this patriotic indigenous operator afloat, against the foreign onslaught”, the coalition stated.
