Airlines Increase Airfares Nationwide, Park Big Planes
- The average airfare in Nigeria rose to N157,355.87 in April 2026, up 0.08% month-on-month and 20.82%
- Kano and Lagos recorded the highest air transport charges, while Gombe and Nasarawa were the cheapest
- Regionally, the South-South posted the highest average air fares, while the North-East recorded the lowest
Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has over a decade of business journalism experience with in-depth knowledge of the Nigerian economy, stocks, and general market trends.
New data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that in air travel, the average fare paid by air passengers for specified single-route journeys was N157,355.87 in April 2026, representing an increase of 0.08% compared to the previous month (March 2026).
Source: Getty Images
On a year-on-year basis, the fare rose by 20.82% from N130,243.90 in April 2025.
The NBS stated this in its transport fare watch report released on Monday, June 1, 2026.
Similarly, Kano recorded the highest air transport charges for specified single-route journeys at N183,835.21, followed by Lagos with N176,659.49. Conversely, Gombe recorded the lowest fare at N135,650.75, followed by Nasarawa with N138,880.14.
Air transportation in April 2026 showed that the South-South recorded the highest average fare at N163,349.92, followed by the North-West at N160,526.32, while the North-East recorded the lowest at N151,938.57.
10 highest air fares (single journey)
- Kano – N183,835.21
- Lagos – N176,659.49
- Rivers – N175,506.92
- Ogun – N173,087.92
- Katsina – N169,854.25
- Cross River – N169,500.14
- Zamfara – N168,000.87
- Taraba – N167,756.93
- Abia – N167,450.46
- Oyo – N166,531.54
Source: Getty Images
10 lowest air fares (single journey)
- Gombe – N135,650.75
- Nasarawa – N138,880.14
- Bauchi – N142,096.98
- Ebonyi – N144,805.77
- Borno – N146,450.35
- Kaduna – N146,894.76
- Edo – N147,200.50
- Enugu – N147,458.66
- Jigawa – N147,560.40
- Osun – N147,865.52
Nigerian airlines abandon big planes
Business reports that due to rising Jet fuel prices and scarcity, Nigerian airlines have been forced into a major operational shift, grounding large, fuel-heavy jets to smaller, fuel-efficient regional aircraft.
Checks show that the price of aviation fuel has skyrocketed nearly four times from under N900 per litre at the end of 2023 to a sharp rise between N2,200 and N3,300 per litre in 2026.
This domestic surge reflects an equally global crisis, where jet fuel prices have jumped by over 100% to more than $200 per barrel.
These changes have left operators with no choice but to implement airfare increases.
Dangote slashes jet fuel price
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that despite a recent reduction in the ex-depot price of aviation fuel by the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals, airlines and operators are still paying significantly high prices for Jet A1 across the country.
Checks showed that aviation fuel is currently selling for between N1,900 and N2,000 per litre in major cities, even after the refinery announced a cut in its gantry price from N1,750 to N1,650 per litre.
The development has raised concerns among airline operators and industry stakeholders who expected the reduction to ease operational costs and eventually lower airfares.
Source: Legit.ng
