Passengers have expressed anger over the sharp increase in parking tariffs at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two, operated by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited.

Air travellers who park their vehicles within the terminal facility lamented the upward review of parking tariffs by over 150 per cent, depending on vehicle categories. The development has left many questioning the rationale behind what they described as an astronomical increase.

Some passengers who spoke with our correspondent insisted that the increment was unjustifiable and imposed an additional financial burden on travellers already grappling with rising airfares.

The PUNCH gathered that the new tariff took effect on April 1, 2026, following a two-week notice issued by the terminal operators. The revised tariff sighted by our correspondent showed that sedan cars now pay N3,500 for the first hour, while Sports Utility Vehicles are charged N4,000 for the same duration.

Buses are billed as high as N20,000 for the first hour.

Subsequent hours for sedans and SUVs are now charged at N2,500, while overnight parking has surged to N50,000 from the previous N6,000.

Before the increase, sedans were charged N1,300, which was later adjusted to N2,500 months ago for the first hour, with subsequent hours costing N500. SUVs previously paid N1,800, which was later increased to N3,500 for the first hour, with the same N500 hourly extension.

Additionally, a penalty of N25,000 is now imposed for lost or damaged parking tickets, a development that has sparked reactions on social media. This spike in price triggered widespread outrage by passengers on Sunday, who expressed their grievances on X (formerly Twitter).

A user of the app, @horlaolas2, wrote, “People would rush to blame the APC government on this because they don’t know the rationale behind the increments. A civilian single-handedly caused this increment. How can you think you can park your car, travel, and then come back, thinking you don’t have to pay and argue about it?”

Another user, @Laycon_sammy, said, “I was there yesterday. I couldn’t believe my eyes that I paid N3,500 just to go in and come out in under 10 minutes. Omo, Lagos needs a change of government seriously, the criminality is so loud.”

Also reacting, @Wemimog1 said, “Lots of our decisions, either in the private or public sectors, are awful. We don’t evaluate risks. We don’t even understand the benefits and consequences of how some decisions affect customers. Someone just decides without proper consultation.”

A passenger, who identified himself simply as Mr Aderemi and spoke to our correspondent at the airport, said Nigerians, not just the government, contribute to some of the economic hardship being experienced in the country. He noted that passengers already struggling with increased ticket fares are now forced to pay significantly higher parking fees.

“I don’t know how to explain this. The same passengers already faced with high travel fares now have to pay more than double to park their vehicles. This is frustrating and difficult to understand,” he said.

Efforts to get a response from the Head of Corporate Communications at Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, Ajoke Olayinka-Adewuyi, were unsuccessful, as she neither answered calls nor responded to text messages sent to her as of press time.

Meanwhile, more passengers continued to raise concerns about the hike. Another X user with the handle, @AmbioA, said. “Last night at the airport, I witnessed both the rich and the poor united in the frustration the APC government is dishing out. The sad reality is you’re charged the moment you enter the car park, even if it’s just one minute.

@n6oflife6, also reacting to the issue, said, “I was their biggest overnight parking fan because most of my local business trips out of Lagos with a maximum of three days cost about N20,000 before. Technically, it’s now cheaper to use Uber from your house to the airport and back than to park there for one night. They will lose in the long run.”

Another user, @sherriekoko, wrote, “If this is not wickedness, I just wonder what it is. Why must we pay to pick up or drop off passengers at the airport? If we must pay, why does it have to be that expensive for an already existing facility and not newly built? Why does one hour have to be that expensive? Sheer greed!”

@Humanxxx01 also said, “Tinubu has taxed the country to poverty. Tell me why someone will pay for overnight parking at an airport for $36, which is 64 per cent of the country’s minimum wage of $55. Crazy lots of government.”

For X user @Sukky04, “They just increased this thing on March 1, why another increase in less than a month  again?”