Four months ahead of the peak travel period, in December, two domestic airlines, Air Peace and United Nigeria, have jacked up their return ticket prices to N677,000, a situation likely to throw many travellers into difficulties.

Airfares on eastern routes have surged ahead of the Christmas and New Year rush, with return tickets on Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines now pegged at a staggering N677,000, while Ibom Air maintains a relatively lower fare of N381,600.

The yuletide season traditionally records heavy passenger traffic, especially to the South-East -- Enugu, Anambra, and Imo, the only eastern states accessible by air. This year, experts warn that fares could climb even higher, with projections of N500,000 for one-way tickets as demand peaks.

On the affected routes -- Lagos and Abuja to Owerri, Enugu, Anambra, Port Harcourt, and Asaba -- fares are already reflected on the airlines' official booking platforms.

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Air Peace has set its one-way fare at N350,500 from December 1, 2025, through January 30, 2026.

United Nigeria will charge the same fare from December 11 until year-end, before reducing one-way tickets on select routes to N150,000 from January 1, 2026.

Ibom Air remains the cheapest on the eastern corridor, with return fares at N381,600.

Interestingly, northern routes appear less affected by the yuletide spike. For instance, Air Peace tickets for Lagos-Kano hover around N106,900, though certain days reflect the yuletide rate of N350,500. United Nigeria has fixed Lagos-Kano at N220,499, while fares on Lagos-Yola and Lagos-Sokoto also reflect festive markups.

Other carriers have followed suit: Ibom Air's Lagos-Uyo tickets now cost N190,800 (up from N152,700), while Arik Air's Lagos-Port Harcourt fares will rise to N191,997 between December 10 and 28, before dropping back to N140,617.