Chris Aligbe, the Managing Director of Belujane consult, has defended the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) over its investigation into domestic aircraft pricing, saying that criticism is based on a misunderstanding of the law.
Aligbe remarked in the middle of a scandal about claims that domestic airlines were fixing prices during the busy travel season in December. He said that the FCCPC did what it was legally required to do and that the airlines’ claims that the sudden rise in ticket was due to increased Jet A1 fuel costs or additional levies were not true.
The aviation Operators of Nigeria (AON) had already questioned the FCCPC’s interim report, saying that the commission didn’t know enough about aviation economics and that its conclusions may put local carriers out of business.
Even though there was dissent, the FCCPC went ahead and charged five unnamed indigenous airlines and said it will punish them according to the law. The commission also plans to hire forensic experts to look into the claims of price-fixing.
Aligbe told The Guardian in Lagos that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is in charge of the aviation industry. The FCCPC, on the other hand, is in charge of protecting consumers and promoting competition across all sectors, including aviation.
He went on to say that the FCCPC’s power, which was given to it by an Act of the National Assembly, has been strengthened by judicial support, including that of the Chief Justice of Nigeria.
In response to concerns that the FCCPC didn’t have enough aviation knowledge, Aligbe claimed the claims were false. He pointed out that Babatunde Irukera, the former CEO of the FCCPC, helped write the commission’s founding legislation, which made sure that institutional knowledge would continue.
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Aligbe went on to say that domestic airlines take advantage of passengers during busy times by delaying the launch of booking portals. This compels people to buy tickets at the last minute for higher prices. He said that airlines’ allegations that these delays were caused by planes not being available were not true. He said that adequate planning should make sure that the fleet is ready before busy seasons.
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