Two prominent UK airlines, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways, have initiated fare reductions across numerous routes as part of promotional campaigns. However, Nigeria has been excluded from these promotions, a decision that has sparked criticism from aviation experts who view it as exploitative towards Nigerian travelers. Both airlines have advertised these discounted fares on their websites and via email, encouraging passengers to take advantage of the offers.

While British Airways is promoting discounted fares on routes such as London to Dubai, Orlando, Los Angeles, Barbados, Cancun, and Sydney, Nigerian routes are conspicuously absent. For instance, a round-trip economy class ticket from London to Dubai, a seven-hour flight, costs approximately N724,800, while an eleven-hour and fifteen-minute flight from Los Angeles to London is priced at 359 euros (N547,400). Similarly, Virgin Atlantic offers a round-trip economy class ticket from London to New York (seven hours and 55 minutes) for N572,800, and a London-Toronto ticket (eleven hours and 15 minutes) for N584,000.

Aviation experts have pointed out that the exclusion of Nigeria from these promotions is likely due to high demand on Nigerian routes. Despite a temporary dip in fares during the low travel season, prices have surged again as summer holidays approach. Currently, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic charge between N3.2 million and N4 million for an economy class ticket from Lagos to London (a six-hour and 45-minute flight), a significant increase from the N1.5 million to N2.5 million charged the previous month. Business class tickets on these routes range from N14.3 million to N16 million. Round-trip economy class tickets from Lagos to the US range between N2.6 million and N4 million, while business class tickets cost between N7.6 million and N11.5 million. Lagos to Dubai economy class tickets sell for between N1.6 million and N2 million, with business class tickets ranging from N3.7 million to N6.5 million.

Henry Uche, CEO of Goodwinds Travels and Tours, has criticized the airlines for consistently exploiting Nigerian travelers, particularly in the wake of the country's foreign exchange backlog. He argues that these airlines have not adjusted their pricing strategies and continue to overcharge Nigerians, even when accounting for exchange rate differences. He urges the Nigerian government to intervene and question the airlines' discriminatory pricing practices.

In a separate development, the UK Home Office has announced potential visa restrictions for citizens of Nigeria, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, citing concerns about overstaying and asylum claims. The UK government plans to implement stricter measures for work and study visa applications from these countries, as outlined in the upcoming Immigration White Paper. This initiative aims to address abuse by foreign nationals who enter the UK on work or study visas and subsequently seek asylum.

The Home Office spokesperson stated that the Immigration White Paper would provide a comprehensive plan to restore order to what they describe as a broken immigration system. Recent data indicates that nearly 100,000 individuals claimed asylum in the UK in the year ending September 2024, with Pakistani nationals accounting for the highest number of claims. Proposed measures include criminalizing those who endanger lives at sea, targeting small boat crossings, and reducing reliance on overseas hires through domestic training programs.

The UK government plans to build intelligence on the profiles of individuals likely to overstay their visas and claim asylum to identify them earlier. However, critics argue that visa restrictions may not significantly impact asylum numbers and are primarily aimed at reducing perceived abuse of the system. The government's full plans are expected to be detailed in the upcoming immigration white paper.