FCCPC probes airlines over Christmas fare hike, sanctions loom

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has revealed that six domestic airlines may face sanctions over alleged arbitrary increases in airfares during the Christmas travel period.

Executive Vice Chairman of the commission, Tunji Bello, disclosed this during the “Meet the Press” briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the State House in Abuja.

Bello said investigations by the commission uncovered indications of coordinated fare increases by the airlines during the festive period. He noted that the affected airlines could be required to refund excess charges to passengers once the final report of the investigation is released.

According to him, ticket prices that previously ranged between ₦145,000 and ₦150,000 reportedly surged to between ₦450,000 and ₦670,000 during the period under review.

“We have completed investigations into complaints that airlines fixed prices during the Christmas period. The final report will detail the penalties, and we are considering requiring refunds to affected passengers,” he said.

Bello further disclosed that the FCCPC recovered more than ₦10 billion for consumers through complaints resolved between March and August 2025.

He stated that the commission handled over 9,000 consumer complaints within the period and urged Nigerians to utilise the commission’s official complaint channels instead of expressing dissatisfaction informally.

“Our work is evidence-based. Consumers must lodge complaints so we can investigate and ensure justice,” Bello said, adding that the commission’s digital platform enables consumers to submit complaints and track their progress.

The FCCPC boss also revealed that the commission is currently monitoring commodity prices across the country amid tensions in the Middle East to ensure businesses do not exploit global developments to justify arbitrary price increases.

According to him, a monitoring mechanism has been activated across critical sectors of the economy to track pricing trends and discourage anti-competitive practices.

Bello noted that the commission is working with agencies such as the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission to monitor developments in the petroleum sector.

On the issue of rising cement prices, he confirmed that the Federal Government has established an investigative committee to examine the situation following public concerns.

He explained that while the commission does not directly control prices, it is empowered under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 to investigate and prosecute anti-competitive practices such as price fixing.

Bello added that the commission has already prosecuted more than 55 cases under the law, with additional cases currently pending.