A distressed passenger has accused Max Air of fraud after the airline cancelled her pre-booked Abuja-to-Benin flight, forcing a refund while prices soared to over ₦500,000 per ticket amid holiday demand.
A Nigerian woman has accused local carrier Max Air of fraudulent practices after the airline abruptly cancelled her family’s flight from Abuja to Benin City scheduled for 17 December 2025.
The passenger, who spoke in a widely circulated online video, said she had booked tickets early November in advance for herself and three children at a total cost of around ₦519,000.
Max Air later informed her that the flight was cancelled without providing an initial reason and invited her to reschedule at no extra charge.
Upon visiting the airline’s office, however, staff reportedly told her no alternative dates were available and offered only a refund.
With festive season demand pushing current fares to between ₦500,000 and ₦600,000 per person, the refunded amount would now cover barely one ticket.
The woman described the situation as deeply unfair, alleging that Max Air deliberately cancelled advance bookings to resell seats at higher prices.
She highlighted the plight of other affected travellers, including a couple whose wedding arrangements were disrupted.
In the same video, the host escalated the accusations, labelling the conduct “wickedness” and suggesting possible collusion among Nigerian airlines.
He claimed operators might indirectly benefit from persistent insecurity on major highways, which has driven many travellers to air transport despite soaring costs.
Kidnappings and banditry along key routes have made road travel increasingly perilous, leaving air services as the preferred option for many during the Christmas period.
The host urged viewers to share the footage widely in the hope of drawing attention from senior officials, including President Bola Tinubu and Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo.
“How can one-way ticket Abuja to Benin be over N500,000 per head for a 35-minute flight?”, he wondered.
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Neither Max Air nor the ministry has issued a public response to the allegations at the time of this report.
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
