Foremost travel expert and chairman of African Tourism Corporate Travels (ATCT) Group, Chief John Adebanjo, at the weekend appealed to the federal government to pay foreign airlines their blocked funds, saying that would ease the pressure in the industry and crash current prices.

He spoke in Lagos during the launch of Eazi Travels, a subsidiary of ATCT Group that provides flexible payment options for prospective travelers.

Adebanjo insisted that the demand for travel is still very huge despite the high cost of tickets, adding that clearing the airlines' trapped funds would go a long way in crashing international airfares.

Daily Trust reports that there has been a back and forth over the trapped funds belonging to foreign airlines which has hit over $700m.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) recently provided $260m to clear part of the backlog which accumulated from sales of tickets by over 25 foreign airlines operating into the country.

Adebanjo said: "I just got back from South Africa, just some hours ago, and I can tell you that it was a full flight. Six days ago, I was coming from the UK, there were no empty seats on that flight, people were still buying.

"All we need to do is ensure we speak to the government to give these airlines the money they owe them. If we do that, you will be amazed that Emirates will put back their two flights.

He said ATCT Group has forged partnerships with global brands like Golden Treasure and Tourvest to deepen travel options for Nigerian travelers.