Airlines’ Staff and Touts Exploit Plane Shortage Amidst Ticket Racketeering Boom
Amidst a severe shortage of planes, airline staff and touts are exploiting the situation to make money, BusinessDay’s findings reveal. Tickets for passengers unable to board are being sold to the highest bidders at airport terminals, while unscrupulous airline staff block seats on websites to sell them at inflated rates at terminals.
Ticket Racketeering Tactics
- Ticket Blocking and Reselling: Airline staff prevent online bookings by blocking seats, then sell these seats at higher prices at the terminals.
- Touts and Fake IDs: Touts purchase tickets from airlines and resell them at higher rates to desperate passengers using fake ID cards.
- Economy for Premium Prices: Airlines sell business class and premium tickets as one-way economy class tickets, with passengers discovering onboard that they have economy seats instead.
Passengers’ Plight and Experiences
- Dipo Omoba’s Experience: Despite arriving at MMA2 on time, Dipo Omoba was told he was late and could not board his flight to Abuja. He witnessed tickets being sold to other passengers under the pretense of a second flight, but his request to transfer his ticket was denied.
- Obed Umuenyin’s Encounter: Obed Umuenyin paid N250,000 through a contact to board a flight he was initially denied.
- Femi Osunlusi’s Ordeal: Femi Osunlusi missed his flight despite arriving 45 minutes before departure. He accused officials of reselling tickets at inflated prices.
- Ordola Adeola’s Shock: Ordola Adeola was approached by a tout to sell his seat for N300,000 and later found the same man on his flight.
Touts and Airline Staff Collaboration
BusinessDay’s visit to MMA2 and GAT terminals revealed that some airline staff collaborate with touts, who act as airport cleaners or trolley staff. These touts use private POS machines to pay for tickets, charging passengers between N230,000 to N300,000 for one-way tickets to popular destinations.
Widespread Issues
- Early Gate Closures: Airlines shut boarding gates 40 minutes to one hour before takeoff, reselling tickets to the highest bidders while denying legitimate passengers their rights to fly.
- High Costs and Maintenance Delays: Aircraft maintenance costs have soared due to foreign exchange scarcity, forcing airlines to ground planes. The grounding of Dana Air, a low-cost carrier, has further strained the available fleet.
Industry Analysis and Expert Opinions
- Olumide Ohunayo’s Insights: The director of Research at Zenith Travels highlights fewer seats chasing the same number of passengers, leading to unofficial and official racketeering. He notes that passengers receive late messages about flight rescheduling, complicating their travel plans.
- John Ojikutu’s Critique: The CEO of Centurion Aviation Security and Safety Consult criticizes the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for neglecting oversight and enforcement of economic regulations. He attributes the issues to institutional corruption.
NCAA’s Response
Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at NCAA, acknowledges the presence of touts and emphasizes that the minister has set up a task force to address these issues. He mentions plans to enforce the use of national IDs for passenger check-ins to combat ticket reselling and fake IDs.
Conclusion
The current plane shortage in Nigeria has led to widespread exploitation by airline staff and touts, creating significant challenges for passengers. The NCAA and other authorities must address these issues to restore order and fairness in the aviation sector.
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