FCCPC uncovers airline price fixing, targets foreign carriers

2026-02-26 - 14:57

Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) says it uncovered patterns of price manipulation by some domestic airlines during the December 2025 festive season. Chief Executive Officer of the commission, Mr Tunji Bello, disclosed this in an interim report released on Thursday by the agency’s Department of Surveillance and Investigations. The report was signed by Mr Ondaje Ijagwu, Director of Corporate Affairs. Bello noted that the FCCPC had in January announced an industry-wide investigation into alleged exploitative airfares on local routes. He affirmed that the assessment was part of the commission’s statutory mandate to promote competitive markets and protect consumers. “This assessment is intended to provide clarity on pricing behaviour during predictable peak travel periods. “The commission’s role is not to disrupt legitimate commercial activity, but to ensure that market outcomes remain consistent with competition and consumer protection principles under the law,” he said. Bello said the forensic exercise benefitted from data collated by the commission from airlines operating local routes in the country, comparing pricing from the December 2025 festive period with post-peak January 2026 fare levels. He noted that preliminary findings indicated that fares recorded during the festive peak were materially higher than those observed in