The owners of Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines have been asked to “immediately have a rethink and review backward these harsh, toxic and unfriendly airfares targeting Igbo passengers exclusively.”

Making the charge to the chairmen of Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines, Mr. Allen Ugochukwu and Mr. Obiora Okonkwo respectively, prominent civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), expressed anger that these businesses whose proprietors are Igbo by birth, are fond of making it so difficult for hundreds of thousands of Igbo passengers residing outside of the South-East to travel home on Christmas festivities.

The rights group in a statement on Monday, said that for many years now, “because Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines are monopolies and then Igbos have the tradition exclusively in Nigeria of going home to the South East from all over the globe during Yuletides, these few airlines have decidedly fixed toxic ticketing airfares for Igbos whereas northerners who also travel during their religious festivities of Sallah, are not subjected to such exploitative treatments.”

HURIWA in a statement signed by the National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, accused the two airlines of price fixing which is anti-competition just as the Rights group said it is giving these two Igbo hating airlines to review backward their toxic and discriminatory airfares within ten working days from today or it will petition the federal government publicly funding consumer rights body (federal Competition and consumer Rights Commission) in Abuja.

HURIWA wonders if these Igbo owners of private airlines known for making their planes available to government for free during emergencies are in a conspiratorial plots with haters of Igbo land who are unhappy at the convivial and happy atmospheres in the South East during Yuletide, just as the rights group has appealed to Igbo governors to immediately intervene and urge Messrs Onyea and Okonkwo to treat Igbos just as they treat for instance northern Muslims who also migrate home to northern Nigeria from around the globe during their Muslim festivities because what is good for the goose, is good for the gander.

HURIWA said if Air Peace airlines have gotten involved in many humanitarian efforts of airlifting Nigerians from outside of our shores for free, it becomes of the Airline not to maltreat their clients of Igbo extraction.

“HURIWA therefore strongly condemns the two airlines for hiking and fixing unaffordable airfares indiscriminately against Igbo passengers even as the festive season draws near, Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines have raised their return ticket fares to N677,000, a move that could add financial strain on travelers. The rise in airfares reflects the high demand expected during the holiday rush.

The rise in flight prices signals the start of a challenging holiday travel season, with airfares higher than usual due to increased demand. Travelers must be prepared for the surge, with some routes seeing even higher fare projections.

“HURIWA is hereby warning the two airlines to withdraw their price fixing malpractices against Igbos or else the Rights group would seek justice and redress for the millions of Igbos who would return home for the 2025 Yuletide from the Federal Competition and consumer Rights Commission and the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria. HURIWA threatened to drag the two airlines to the Nigerian President through the Honourable minister of Aviation and Transportation,” the rights group said.