Information gathered by our reporter during the week indicated that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has stepped in to actually unravel what is responsible for the high fares the mega carriers often charge between the Nigerian routes and their home countries. This is just as the affected foreign carriers have appealed to the government to give them time to raise the issue and others with their home countries and subsequently get back to the Nigerian government through the NCAA. Prior to now, the foreign carriers have been discovered to be charging the most expensive fares in Nigeria, which are a far departure from what they charge in other neighbouring countries. According to investigations, while a first class flight ticket from Nigeria to London attracts as high as $10,070, Accra to London, which is almost the same distance, on the same class of ticket sells for as low as $4,943. The same practice goes with the fares charged on the premium economy class on the Nigerian routes, which are also as high as $3,208 in Nigeria, whereas the same ticket on Accra-London route goes for $2,240. The argument by Nigerians is that the high fares being charged by the mega carriers “is a deliberate attempt to specifically target the Nigerian travellers for exploitation,” which they claimed contradicts the huge markets and profits the airlines enjoy in Nigeria. Despite the alleged unfair treatment of the Nigerian travellers by the mega carriers, the carriers have chosen to keep mum on the raging issue, as many of the foreign carriers contacted for reaction on the development by our reporter failed to respond to the questions posed to them on why they chose to specifically charge high fares on the Nigerian routes they operate into.]]>