Air Fares Not Likely To Rise

The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) is not foreseeing an increase in air fares, association’s Assistant Secretary-General, Mohammed Tukur, said on Wednesday.

In a telephone interview with journalists in Lagos, Tukur said that only one marketer, MRS, had slightly increased the pump price of aviation fuel from N162 to N175 a litre, adding that the development would likely not lead to an increase in air fares.

He said other marketers still retained the old price and aircraft owners and operators had been advised to patronise them to avoid a possible increase in fares.

Tukur said MRS increased its pump price as soon as the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) announced the withdrawal of subsidy on fuel on January 1.

He said the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, had earlier written the airlines not to increase their fares.