Senate invites Keyamo over rising airfares

The Senate yesterday summoned the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), alongside key industry stakeholders for an urgent meeting.

The summons followed widespread public outcry over the sharp rise in domestic airfares.

During plenary yesterday, the senators decried the rise in the prices of airfares on major routes, including Abuja–Lagos, Abuja–Enugu, and Abuja–Ilorin, saying these have surged to between N400,000 and N650,000, a range many Nigerians can no longer afford.

In its resolutions, the Senate: “Condemned the sudden and excessive rise in airfares nationwide, mandated the immediate summoning of all relevant aviation stakeholders.

“Called for urgent measures to prevent exploitation and ensure affordable travel during the yuletide season.

“Directed aviation committees to present recommendations at the next plenary”.

Presenting the motion, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Abdulfatai Buhari (Oyo North), stated that preliminary investigations indicated a growing number of Nigerians were unable to travel due to the drastic fare hikes.

“Mr. President, from Abuja to Lagos is now between 400,000 and 650,000 naira. Abuja to Enugu is about 500,000. Even Abuja to Ilorin is around 450,000,” he told the chamber.

The committee chairman noted that with Christmas fast approaching, it had become necessary for the Senate to intervene to ease the financial burden on citizens.

He added that while it had begun informal engagements with airline operators, no formal meeting had yet been held.

The committee urged the Senate to summon all major aviation stakeholders, including airline owners and regulatory agencies, to explain the fare increase and propose immediate relief measures.

Senator Peter Nwebonyi (Ebonyi North) said a flight which previously cost N150,000 to Enugu had jumped to N500,000, while another ticket from Lagos to Abuja was purchased at N560,000.

Senator Solomon Adeola (Ogun West) noted that airline operators had already received multiple concessions, particularly on spare parts, and should therefore be held accountable for the current price surge.

Advertisement

While Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North) attempted to justify the increases, citing rising operational costs, inflation, expensive spare parts, and forex challenges, many other lawmakers insisted that the fares represented exploitation.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio said: “The minimum wage is N70,000. A civil servant would need to save six months’ salary to afford a one-way ticket. This is glaring exploitation.”

Akpabio added that no corresponding increase in airport levies or aviation service charges could justify a 200–300 per cent spike in airfares.

Following an extensive debate, the Senate resolved to summon all key stakeholders in the aviation sector, including the Minister of Aviation, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and airline operators, for an emergency meeting this week.

The Red Chamber also urged the Minister of Aviation to “rise to the occasion” and curtail what it called an “unwarranted extortion”.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation was instructed to notify all stakeholders and ensure the emergency meeting is convened without delay.