The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has said it may impose sanctions on five domestic airlines over alleged price-fixing during the 2025 Christmas and New Year travel period.
The commission disclosed that the move followed numerous complaints from travellers who paid significantly higher airfares during the festive season.
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello, revealed this while briefing State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa on Thursday.
Bello explained that the commission launched an investigation after receiving reports that ticket prices on several domestic routes surged dramatically during the peak holiday period.
He said preliminary investigations had already been completed and that the commission was currently reviewing enforcement options, including the possibility of asking airlines to refund passengers who paid excessive fares.
“We investigated the following complaints that airline ticket prices increased sharply during the Christmas period,” Bello said.
According to the FCCPC boss, airfare prices that typically ranged between ₦45,000 and ₦50,000 skyrocketed to between ₦400,000 and ₦670,000 during the festive season.
“We investigated the following complaints that airline ticket prices increased sharply during the Christmas period. Prices that were ordinarily around ₦45,000 to ₦50,000 suddenly rose to between ₦400,000 and ₦670,000,” Bello said.
“So we followed up through our investigation and were able to conclude that there were indications of a price-fixing mechanism.”
He added that the commission’s findings suggested that some airlines might have engaged in coordinated pricing practices.
Bello noted that the agency was considering ordering airlines to refund passengers who may have paid inflated ticket prices during the period under investigation.
“We are also considering a situation where we may ask them to refund the excess fares to passengers who may have been affected. By the time we release the final report, the appropriate actions will be clear,” he stated.
In a prepared statement, Bello explained that the FCCPC began reviewing pricing practices within the domestic aviation sector after widespread complaints from travellers.
He said an interim report released by the commission two weeks earlier revealed that fares recorded during the December 2025 festive travel period were significantly higher than those observed in January 2026, when travel demand reduced.
“An interim report released two weeks ago by the commission indicates that fares during the December 2025 festive travel period were significantly higher than those observed in ...-peak January 2026 period, despite relative stability in fuel prices, regulatory charges and foreign exchange conditions,” he said.
The commission further observed that on some domestic routes, the difference between peak and off-peak ticket prices ranged between ₦405,000 and ₦650,000 per passenger.
According to the FCCPC, similar pricing patterns were observed across multiple airlines operating busy routes, particularly during periods when seat availability was limited.
Bello noted that although seasonal demand and operational constraints could influence ticket pricing, the commission was examining whether the practices violated provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act relating to anti-competitive agreements and price fixing.
“Consumer rights must be respected as guaranteed under the provisions of the FCCPA,” he added.
FCCPC Also Reviewing Foreign Airlines
Bello further disclosed that the commission was reviewing the pricing practices of foreign airlines operating routes into Nigeria to ensure that passengers were not subjected to unfair charges.
He explained that the FCCPC often works with other regulatory bodies to enforce consumer protection and competition rules across sectors.
“To ensure broad impact, the FCCPC collaborates with sector regulators through formal agreements with agencies such as the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Nigerian Communications Commission and Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to enforce consumer protection and competition laws where necessary,” he said.
Also speaking, the FCCPC’s Executive Commissioner for Operations, Louis Odion, clarified that the commission does not regulate prices directly.
Instead, he said the agency’s role is to prevent exploitative practices that could harm consumers.
“We are not a price control agency, but what we try to do is to ensure that consumers are not exploited through the pricing of products or services,” Odion said.
He added that the commission would continue monitoring consumer protection issues across different sectors of the Nigerian economy.