Hard times: Airlines increase number of seats to beat high operational costs

In a bid to beat high operating costs in the aviation industry, domestic airlines have increased the number of flight seats, allowing more travellers to commute and boost revenue.

The President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies, Susan Akporiaye, responding to the effect of foreign exchange scarcity in an exclusive interview with our correspondent, said the new development was part of coping mechanisms, employed by airline owners to increase the capacity of their airlines amid dwindling revenue.

Though the minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had promised to resolve issues facing the sector, experts said poor implementation of policy regulation was a bane affecting the industry.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer, of Centurion Security, Group Capt. John Ojikutu, called for a thorough examination of the commercial addition sector by the relevant authorities so as to ascertain the financial health of all airlines.