Air Peace reacts to allegation of favouring Northerners over Easterners in its ticket pricing

Air Peace has responded to multiple complaints about its fares, alleging that the airline charges higher tickets on Eastern destinations.

According to the company in a statement signed by management, demand and supply are the criteria that determine ticket prices.

Air Peace stated that its automated price system is set up in a certain way such that the higher fares are automatically displayed as the aircraft seats full up.

He added that ticket prices will increase according to passenger demand for seats.

The airline claims that this applies not only to its domestic airline fare system but also to the international airline fare system, both of which use the same basic principle.

Given that the same system regulated ticketing and fares worldwide, it noted that this procedure adheres to international standard practice.

Yuletide season driving surge

The airline explained that the Yuletide season usually witnessed a high demand in the eastern regions as more people travel to the airports located in the South-south and Southeast regions.

It noted: “Increased demand for flight tickets/high passenger traffic to these destinations this season automatically impacts how aircraft seats get sold. The seats get sold out faster than some routes with less traffic.

Therefore, the airline booking engine reservation system displays the higher fares faster even though eventually, the higher fares will get displayed on the less traffic routes as the seats get fuller, too.”

Addressing the misrepresentation of facts and wrong accusations about the airline’s business model making the rounds on social media, it added that the airline fosters and promotes peace and unity amongst the different ethnic groups in Nigeria.

“Lately, we have observed several posts on social media in which the authors purport that Air Peace is extorting Easterners with ‘high ticket fares.’ They intend to whip up ethnic sentiments against Air Peace and the Chairman, Dr. Allen Onyema, by insinuating that the airline has continued to favour Northerners at the expense of the Easterners in its ticket pricing.

In a related report, the Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, lamented the poor business environment in Nigeria.

Onyema also revealed that the airline has about $14 million stranded with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and about 15 aircraft were grounded abroad.