Nigerian Airlines are coming up with strategies to ease the high operating costs in the aviation industry.
Domestic airlines have increased the number of flight seats to allow more travellers to move and increase revenue.
The President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies, Susan Akporiaye said this is in response to the effect of foreign exchange scarcity. She said the new development was part of coping mechanisms, employed by airline owners to increase the capacity of their airlines amid dwindling revenue.
According to her, the lower seats, although cheaper, were to drive up the average seats per departure and translate into lower per-seat costs.
She said nothing has changed in the operating costs yet due to the fluctuating exchange rate, which is affecting operating costs. The only thing that has changed is that airlines are beginning to release the lower seats now.
Some of them have started releasing lower seats.
Aviation experts have expressed deep worries over the potential negative impact of the recent increase in airfares on the aviation industry caused by the scarcity of foreign exchange amongst other challenges.
Though the minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had promised to resolve issues facing the sector, experts said poor implementation of policy regulation was a bane affecting the industry.
