Senate Summons Keyamo, Airlines Over “Unacceptable” Increase in Domestic Airfares
- The Senate has summoned the Aviation Minister and key industry stakeholders over the sharp rise in domestic airfares
- Lawmakers said ticket prices on major routes now range between N400,000 and N650,000, making travel difficult for many Nigerians
- An emergency meeting has been scheduled within the week as the Senate seeks urgent solutions to stabilise air travel costs
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Oluwatobi Odeyinka is a business editor at Legit.ng, covering energy, the money market, tech and macroeconomic trends in Nigeria.
The Senate has invited the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, alongside key aviation agencies and airline operators, to an emergency meeting over the sharp rise in domestic airfares.
The lawmakers said the current pricing trends were “unacceptable” and risked putting air travel out of the reach of many Nigerians.
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At plenary, senators raised concerns about what they described as an unjustified surge in ticket costs on major routes, particularly ahead of the Christmas travel season.
They urged regulators to ensure airlines do not take advantage of increased passenger demand during the holidays.
According to the Senate, fares on routes such as Abuja–Lagos, Abuja–Enugu and Abuja–Ilorin have climbed to between N400,000 and N650,000.
Several lawmakers said the sudden jump had already forced many intending travellers to cancel or abandon their plans.
Presenting the motion, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, noted that preliminary checks showed widespread complaints from passengers nationwide.
He told the chamber that although the committee had held informal discussions with operators, a formal engagement was yet to take place, making it necessary for the Senate to summon all key stakeholders for explanations and possible solutions.
Senators debate hike
Contributing to the debate, lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties condemned the fare hike. Senator Peter Nwebonyi said a ticket to Enugu that previously cost about N150,000 is now priced around N500,000, while another passenger recently paid N560,000 for a Lagos–Abuja trip.
Senator Solomon Adeola, who chairs the Appropriations Committee, reminded the Senate that airline operators enjoy several government concessions, particularly on spare parts, and should therefore account for the sudden rise in ticket prices.
However, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu argued that inflation, high operational costs, forex challenges and expensive spare parts were contributing to the price adjustments.
Kalu’s position was strongly opposed by many senators who maintained that the increases amounted to exploitation.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio aligned with the majority view, stating that the current fares were difficult to justify. He noted that with the national minimum wage at N70,000, many civil servants would need months of savings to afford a one-way ticket.
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Following the deliberations, the Senate resolved to summon the Minister of Aviation, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and major airline operators for a crisis meeting within the week.
The Senate also directed its aviation committees to submit urgent recommendations to address the rising fares and protect travellers.
Airfares soar by 100 per cent
Legit.ng earlier reported that airfares across major routes during this festive season have skyrocketed, leaving passengers with a tough decision to make amid rising insecurity.
A passenger recently lamented that one-way tickets from Ilorin to Abuja might now cost between N250,000 and N290,000, particularly on Monday mornings or weekends, a significant increase from the prior average of N65,000 to N100,000 for the same route.
More Nigerians are choosing to travel by air due to the fear of being kidnapped by bandits who seem to have taken over inter-state roads.
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Source: Legit.ng
