Senate orders emergency meeting on escalating airfares

File photo of the Senate

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The Senate on Tuesday summoned the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and major players in the aviation sector for an emergency interface following nationwide outrage over the drastic surge in domestic airfare ahead of the festive season.

The resolution was prompted by a motion sponsored by Senator Buhari Abdulfatai, who raised the alarm that the soaring ticket prices threaten national mobility and could severely disrupt end-of-year travel plans for millions of Nigerians.

The upper chamber’s intervention comes amid reports that one-way tickets on several domestic routes—especially flights heading to the South-South and South-East—have skyrocketed by as much as 200 per cent, with fares now crossing the N300,000 mark. Before the Yuletide rush, tickets on the same routes averaged around N120,000.

A recent market check on airlines’ websites confirmed that some fares had climbed by over 150 per cent compared to pre-holiday prices, worsening concerns among travellers already grappling with inflation and rising transport costs.

During plenary, Senator Buhari relayed mounting complaints from Nigerians who say domestic air travel is fast becoming unaffordable.

He noted that a one-way ticket from Abuja to Lagos now ranges between N400,000 and N600,000—an amount many citizens “can no longer afford” at a time when insecurity and poor road conditions have made air travel the preferred option.

“We need to invite stakeholders of our airline agencies to interact and interrogate these issues. Immediate steps must be taken before the festive period,” he said.

His concerns resonated across the chamber. Senator Adamu Aliero branded the fare surge “unacceptable,” while Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi denounced what he described as a “400 per cent increase,” faulting the delay in establishing a national carrier and urging the aviation minister to “take decisive action.”

Senator Solomon Olamilekan reminded colleagues that airline operators have benefitted from numerous government concessions—including those on spare parts—and should not pass high costs onto passengers without accountability.

However, Senator Orji Kalu offered a contrasting view, defending the operators and citing rising operational costs, particularly the spike in prices of aviation fuel and imported spare parts.

His position was met with stiff pushback from several lawmakers who insisted that the increases were disproportionate and unjustifiable.

In its resolution, the Senate directed Keyamo, airline operators, regulatory agencies, and other key stakeholders to appear before the relevant committees this week to explain the fare hikes and outline measures that can stabilise prices ahead of the Christmas and New Year travel rush.

The PUNCH journalist, Adebayo, has over 20 years of experience covering politics, health, metro, entertainment and properties

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