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Senate says 400% rise in airfares unacceptable, summons Minister
… Describe as outrageous N400, 000, N600, 000 flights
On Tuesday, the Senate summoned the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and other key stakeholders in the sector for an urgent interface to address the effects on air travellers.
The resolution of the apex legislative Chamber was made in response to public outcry over rising domestic airfares in Nigeria.
The Senate decried the situation and asked Keyamo, airline operators, regulators, and other industry stakeholders to appear before its Committee on Aviation this week to clarify the reasons behind the soaring fares and chart an immediate path to stabilising the situation before the yuletide travel rush.
The resolution of the Senate was made in response to a motion raised under a matter of urgent public importance by Senator AbdulFatai Buhari (APC, Oyo North) during plenary.
Presenting the motion, Buhari warned that the sudden hike in airfares posed a serious threat to mobility and could trigger nationwide travel disruption in the coming days.
The politician told the Chamber that a one-way ticket from Abuja to Lagos now costs between N400,000 and N600,000, an amount many citizens can no longer afford.
He noted that the development had caused significant inconvenience for Nigerians who travel by air, saying they are being forced to abandon road and rail transport due to heightened insecurity in the country.
“We need to invite stakeholders of our airline agencies to interact and interrogate the issues. Immediate steps must be taken before the festive period,” the lawmaker said.
Contributing to the motion, Senator Solomon Adeola (APC, Ogun West), said that airline operators have already been granted several concessions, particularly regarding the cost of spare parts and must therefore be held accountable for the price hikes.
In his position, Senator Adamu Aliero (APC, Kebbi Central) said the invitation to the minister and other stakeholders became necessary due to the sudden hike in air fares, to seek a way out.
Also, Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi (APC, Ebonyi North) described the 400 per cent increase as unacceptable, calling on the Aviation Minister to rise to the occasion and urging the establishment of a national carrier.
However, Senator Orji Kalu (APC, Abia North) justified the airfare increases by citing rising operational costs and soaring spare parts prices, a rationale that drew intense criticism from several lawmakers.
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