Passengers stranded as grounded airlines await NCAA audit

Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella Oduah

   Hundreds of air travellers were on Thursday stranded at the Lagos airport following the grounding of Chanchangi and IRS airlines by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority for having only one operational aircraft each in their fleets.

With the earlier suspension of flight operations of two other domestic carriers, Dana Air and Associated Airlines, air travels to destinations within the country have become increasingly difficult, thereby leaving potential passengers at the mercy of the few available operators, who have capitalised on the situation to hike fares.

Our correspondent observed many desperate passengers milling around the counters of the few airlines in operation and scrambling to get seats on the available planes at both the General Aviation Terminal and Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 of the Lagos airport.

The situation resulted in a marginal increase in airfares to various destinations in the country.

For instance, Aerocontractors’ Lagos to Abuja flight, which cost between N18,000 and N22,000, attracted N28,000 on Thursday afternoon.

A flight ticket to Abuja from Lagos on Medview Airlines sold for between N25,500 and N30,000 depending on the time of flight, instead of the average of N18,000 previously, while Arik Air ticket on the same route sold for N35,000.details.....