Air Nigeria’s stuck fund crisis will continue until there is a sustainable solution from the government, President of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies, Susan Akporiaye, told Guardian Nigeria.
“For the travel agencies, 2022 was a year where we did not make money, business was low, and inflation also spiked the cost of commodities. Hope is the last thing to leave humans. We will keep hope alive and pray for a better industry and a better Nigeria 2023.”
Agents in Nigeria have long been asking government to give the balance of 50% of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s US$265m (R4,89bn), Akporiaye says that has been paid.
“People have to pay as much as NGN1,7m (R68 000) or NGN1,8m (R72 000) per ticket that was earlier bought at NGN800 000 (R32 000). When that initially happened, there was a system in place through which we could reach out to the airline but now that is no longer there.”
If someone had initially issued a ticket of NGN800 000 (R32 000), they will now have to pay NGN1,7m (R67 862) to change that ticket.
