Following public outcry over the abrupt and sharp increase in domestic airfare, the Senate has called an urgent meeting with Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation, and important industry players.
The resolution was passed after Buhari Abdulfatai made a motion on the Senate floor, cautioning that the skyrocketing costs are a major danger to mobility and could cause travel disruptions across the country in the days ahead.
Senator Buhari, who led the discussion, pointed out that Nigerians have been grumbling about the rising expense of domestic travel in recent months.
He disclosed that the current airfare for a one-way ticket from Abuja to Lagos is between N400,000 and N600,000, which many residents cannot afford.
The lawmaker from Oyo State stressed that the situation is especially distressing given the increasing difficulty and insecurity on major highways.
“We need to invite stakeholders of our airline agencies to interact and interrogate the issues. Immediate steps must be taken before the festive period,” he said on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday.
More Senators Raise Similar Concerns
Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi denounced what he characterized as an unprecedented 400 percent hike, while Senator Adamu Aliero called the airfare increase deplorable.
Nigeria is long overdue for a national carrier, according to Nwebonyi, who questioned the long-delayed construction of one. He exhorted Keyamo to step up.
According to Senator Solomon Olamilekan, airline operators must be held responsible for the price increases as they have previously received a number of concessions, especially with relation to the cost of spare parts.
However, a number of senators vehemently disagreed with Senator Orji Kalu’s attempt to defend the airlines’ pricing rises by citing growing operating expenses and the skyrocketing cost of spare parts.
The Keyamo, airline operators, regulators, and other industry stakeholders are mandated to come before the Senate’s relevant committees this week in order to explain the causes of the skyrocketing costs and to establish a quick plan for stabilizing prices before the holiday season.
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