Airline operators are considering an increase in the price of flights to N250,000.

Spokesperson for Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, and Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Obiora Okonkwo, said the cost of a one-hour flight from Lagos to Abuja might rise to N250,000.

Okonkwo dropped the hint while appearing on Arise Television's Morning Show on Wednesday.

The AON spokesman emphasized the need for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to create a window for local airlines to access foreign exchange.

According to Okonkwo, “If you think tickets are expensive, then you probably don’t appreciate the sacrifices made by local operators.

“If we have to charge the fares, the way the costs are increasing every day, we should be paying not less than N250,000 from Lagos to Abuja.”

He also charged the Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, to collaborate with other governmental bodies to identify and resolve issues responsible for problems in the aviation sector.

On the issue of foreign exchange challenges, Okonkwo said: “You have naira, and you can’t convert it to the dollar.

“So, the solution to this is for our minister to understand that we need a special window with the CBN to access foreign exchange.”