The Senate has summoned the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, along with major players in the aviation industry, for an urgent meeting following growing public outrage over the steep rise in domestic airfares across the country.
The decision came after a motion by Senator Buhari Abdulfatai, who, according to reports from Channels Television, warned that the sudden spike in ticket prices is already affecting national mobility and may jeopardise end of year travel plans for many Nigerians.
Recent reports show that one way tickets on several domestic routes, especially those heading to the South South and South East, have increased by about one hundred and fifty per cent, with some fares now above three hundred thousand naira. Before the festive rush, domestic tickets were selling for about one hundred and twenty thousand naira. However, checks on airline websites last week revealed that fares on many routes have more than doubled ahead of the holiday season.
During the debate in the Senate, Senator Buhari stressed that citizens are alarmed at the skyrocketing cost of air travel, noting that a one way ticket from Abuja to Lagos now sells for between four hundred thousand naira and six hundred thousand naira. He said many Nigerians can no longer afford air travel, especially with insecurity and bandit attacks making road travel risky.
He urged the Senate to meet immediately with all aviation stakeholders to find solutions before the festive period intensifies.
Several senators echoed similar concerns. Senator Adamu Aliero described the fare hike as simply unacceptable. Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi criticised what he termed a four hundred per cent increase in ticket prices and lamented the failure to establish a national carrier that could have stabilised the market. He called on Minister Keyamo to take firm action.
Senator Solomon Olamilekan pointed out that airline operators have benefited from several government concessions, especially with regard to spare parts, and should not be allowed to overburden the travelling public.
However, Senator Orji Kalu attempted to defend the airlines, citing soaring operational expenses and the high cost of aircraft parts. His position was strongly opposed by other lawmakers who insisted that the burden on citizens has become unbearable.
At the end of the session, the Senate directed Minister Keyamo, airline operators, regulatory agencies, and relevant aviation stakeholders to appear before its committees this week to explain the drastic fare increases and present measures that will stabilise flight costs ahead of the holiday travel rush.
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