Date: 2021-06-21

The commencement of Air Peace daily flight operation to Ilorin International Airport last week has triggered competition on the route with fare crashing, Daily Trust reports.

There are now three airlines operating to the state including Overland and Arik Air.

Overland had enjoyed monopoly on the route, operating daily Lagos-Ilorin flights, and Abuja-Ilorin flights.

Arik only operates four weekly flights from Abuja to Ilorin and Ilorin-Abuja.

Flight tickets had been in the region of N60,000 and N70,000, and passengers could pay higher during a surge.

But with the monopoly broken, air travellers anticipate relatively cheap fares on the Lagos-Ilorin, Abuja-Ilorin routes henceforth. Checks yesterday on Overland Airways indicated that the cheapest Lagos-Ilorin fare quoted by the airline is now N29,500 while the highest was N47,000, dropping from N38,500 and over N80,000 earlier.

Ilorin Airport Manager, Olatayo Oginni, said two other airlines would soon commence flights to the airport, adding to the three airlines operating. He anticipated a further crash in the airfare to the state.

Commenting, President of Ilorin Emirates Descendants' Progressive Union (IEDPU), Alhaji Aliyu Ota Uthman, said Ilorin residents have suffered in silence over air fare from Ilorin to Lagos and Abuja.

He said the commencement of flight by Air Peace is a relief to them as it would bring about fare reduction.