The House of Representatives has expressed concerns over the steep increase in domestic airfares, describing the surge as exploitative and capable of preventing millions of Nigerians from travelling home during the Christmas season.
Presenting a motion of urgent public importance during Thursday’s plenary, Obinna Aguocha (LP, Abia State) said domestic air travel had become “prohibitively expensive,” shutting out families and undermining the country’s cultural tradition of festive-season reunion.
|
|
The debate came barely 48 hours after the Senate summoned the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, alongside the heads of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), over the sudden escalation in ticket prices.
They are expected to brief senators behind closed doors on a date to be announced.
|
|
|
|---|
Debate
Mr Aguocha told the House that the Christmas season, traditionally a time for reunion and shared joy, had now become overshadowed by economic strain.
He acknowledged the operational difficulties airlines face but insisted that “the insatiable pursuit of profit should not come at the expense of life, security, and cultural bonds.”
He appealed to the federal government to work with airlines to temporarily lower fares and demonstrate a commitment to national solidarity.
Lawrence Okolie (LP, Delta State) said Nigerians were being forced into the air because bad roads had made road travel dangerous and unreliable.
“If our roads are fixed, fewer people will fly, and airlines will not be taking advantage of travellers,” he said.
Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers State) rejected proposals for airfare subsidies, arguing that it would amount to treating the symptoms rather than the root causes.
He blamed the crisis on insufficient airline capacity and Nigeria’s failure to maintain a viable national carrier.
Mr Chinda warned that insecurity on highways forces even low-income Nigerians into air travel:
“Somebody who earns N150,000 will borrow to pay N350,000 for airfare because he doesn’t want to die on the road,” he said.
Ahmad Aluko (APC, Kwara State) said Jet A1 prices had been relatively stable for nearly two years and accused airlines of exploiting the festive season.
“What the operators have done in the past 12 hours is completely uncalled for,” he said.
Auwalu Gwalabe (APC, Birnin, Jigawa State) said airline operators had repeatedly complained that up to 70 per cent of ticket costs were spent on government levies.
He called for an investigation into the nature and necessity of these charges.
Gaza Jonathan (APC, Nasarawa State) emphasised the importance of recognising the high cost of imported aircraft parts, manpower, and maintenance.
He also noted that airlines are sometimes required to fly even with low passenger numbers, affecting their ability to break even.
Bappe Misau (PDP, Bauchi State) warned that harmattan weather increases fuel consumption as aircraft spend longer periods airborne waiting for landing clearance.
He said Nigeria’s incomplete radar coverage also forces pilots to rely on alternative systems that increase costs.
Resolutions
Following the debate, the House agreed to establish a transparent review mechanism to determine the minimum operational cost for airlines during the Christmas period.
Members also called for a 50 per cent reduction in aviation taxes, charges, and levies, and urged the Central Bank of Nigeria to prioritise foreign exchange allocation to airline operators at reasonable rates.
The House further resolved to create a system for assessing the true cost structure of airline operations throughout the festive season and referred the matter to the House Committee on Aviation to interface with operators and the executive and report back within seven days.
Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu put the resolutions to a voice vote, and they were adopted.
A long-running airfare crisis now worsened by the festive rush
Domestic airfares have risen steadily for more than two years due to spiralling Jet A1 prices, currency depreciation, multiple regulatory charges, insecurity on highways, and dwindling airline capacity.
Before the festive rush, one-way tickets on major routes averaged around N120,000. In recent days, however, prices have surged to between N300,000 and N400,000, with lawmakers warning that flights could reach N500,000 in the coming weeks.
Given the worsening insecurity on major highways, many Nigerians now prefer travelling by air, but the soaring cost of tickets has become a major hindrance.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has hinted that the federal government will engage airline operators to determine the causes of the spikes. He made this known amid growing public complaints ahead of the yuletide.
Airlines and several industry players have blamed the soaring fares on the high number of taxes and charges imposed by aviation authorities.
A new report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) revealed that airlines worldwide paid more than $60.4bn in charges and levies to governments in 2024.
IATA, the global body of airlines that account for more than 90 per cent of global traffic, stated in its report titled, “Ticket taxes increase return air ticket prices by USD 30,” that many of these taxes are applied to the base airfare and are ultimately borne by passengers.
According to the report, the average ticket tax is $13 per single flight or $30 per round trip, including connections. IATA noted that while these taxes contribute little to government revenue, they significantly increase ticket prices, distort competition, affect connectivity, and harm economic development.
