As the aviation industry settles into the annual low travel season, airlines flying from Nigeria to European destinations are reducing ticket prices and launching enticing promotions to attract passengers.
The low season, typically spanning February to May, is marked by a dip in travel demand, prompting airlines to adopt competitive pricing strategies.
Airfare Discounts Across Economy Class
Several international carriers, including British Airways, have introduced major fare cuts. The airline recently slashed its premium economy fare to London to as low as $300, a significant drop from previous rates exceeding $1,000.
On average, one-way economy class return fares from Lagos to Europe have dropped by 15% to 25%, compared to the prices seen during the summer of 2024, where rates peaked between ₦2 million and ₦3 million.
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Lagos to London Gatwick: Now ₦1.5M – ₦1.8M (previously over ₦2M)
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Lagos to France: Now ₦1.5M – ₦1.9M
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Lagos to Amsterdam: Now ₦1.6M – ₦1.9M
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Lagos to Brussels: Now ₦1.6M – ₦1.8M
These reductions reflect the industry’s efforts to sustain passenger flow during the less busy months.
Business Class Rates Also Declining
Business class tickets, which reached record highs of ₦5 million to ₦9 million last summer, have also seen substantial drops across major routes:
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Lagos to London Heathrow: ₦4M – ₦6.8M
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Lagos to France: ₦3.2M – ₦8M
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Lagos to Berlin: ₦5M – ₦7.4M
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Lagos to Amsterdam: ₦4.2M – ₦8.5M
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Lagos to Brussels: ₦4.8M – ₦6.8M
Why the Drop?
According to Susan Akporaiye, former president of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), the lower prices can be attributed to both promotional fare strategies and a relatively stable exchange rate environment.
“People are not really travelling now, so airlines are doing aggressive marketing with promo fares,” she explained.
“Whatever ticket price you are seeing that looks cheap must either be a promo fare or because the rate of airlines’ exchange has stabilised. Once we enter the high season, the fares will change.”
As airlines compete for a limited pool of travelers, this period presents an opportunity for budget-conscious passengers to take advantage of lower fares—before prices surge again during the upcoming high season.