Senate Moves to Halt ‘Exploitative’ Airfare Surge, Summons Keyamo, Airlines

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Senate on Tuesday rose firmly against what it described as “glaring exploitation” of Nigerian travelers, summoning the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, along with major aviation agencies and airline operators, over the steep rise in domestic airfares nationwide.

During a heated plenary session, lawmakers decried the sudden spike in ticket prices on key routes – Abuja-Lagos, Abuja-Enugu, Abuja-Ilorin and others – where fares have soared to between N400,000 and N650,000.

They argued that the fare was far beyond the reach of the average citizen. Senators warned that the development threatened to shut millions of Nigerians out of essential travel during the yuletide season.

Presenting the motion, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari (Oyo North), said preliminary findings showed many Nigerians were cancelling trips because air travel had become prohibitively expensive.

He cited current fares: Abuja–Lagos between N400,000 and N650,000; Abuja–Enugu about N500,000; and Abuja–Ilorin around N450,000.

He said that with Christmas only weeks away, immediate intervention was necessary to prevent what he termed “economic hardship imposed on travelers by arbitrary airfare adjustments.”

Buhari disclosed that although his committee had initiated informal discussions with airline operators, a formal engagement had become urgent in view of public outcry.

Senators across party lines expressed outrage. Senator Peter Nwebonyi (Ebonyi North) told the chamber that a flight previously sold at N150,000 to Enugu now cost nearly N500,000, while another route – Lagos to Abuja – had climbed to N560,000.

Senator Solomon Adeola (Ogun West) noted that airline operators had received several concessions from the federal government, particularly in the area of aircraft spare parts, and therefore should not be imposing such crushing fares.

He insisted that the Senate must demand accountability from the operators.

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North) attempted to justify the hikes, citing inflation, high cost of aviation fuel, foreign exchange instability and rising maintenance expenses.

However, several lawmakers rejected his defence, insisting that the scale of the increases amounted to extortion.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the situation was unacceptable, stressing that the new rates bore no relationship to airport charges, security fees or any approved aviation levy.

Using the national minimum wage to illustrate the gravity of the situation, he said: “Minimum wage is ₦70,000. A civil servant would need to save six months’ salary to afford a one-way ticket. This is glaring exploitation.”

He added the Senate would not stand by while Nigerians were priced out of domestic mobility, especially during a period associated with family travel and increased economic activity.

After extensive debate, the Senate resolved to summon the Minister of Aviation, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and major airline operators for an emergency meeting this week.

Lawmakers said the session would enable stakeholders to explain the sudden airfare surge and present immediate relief measures.

The Senate also urged the Minister of Aviation to rise to the occasion and curb what it described as unwarranted extortion.

The Senate Committee on Aviation was directed to notify all relevant stakeholders and convene the emergency meeting without delay, with lawmakers vowing to ensure that Nigerians are not burdened by arbitrary fare increases at a critical travel period.