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From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
The Senate has summoned the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, and leading aviation stakeholders for an emergency meeting following mounting outrage over an “unacceptable and exploitative” surge in domestic airfares.
Speaking on the issue at plenary, the lawmakers also demanded measures to prevent airlines from exploiting travellers during the Christmas season.
Specifically, they decried the “unjustifiable” sharp rise in ticket prices on major routes including Abuja – Lagos, Abuja–Enugu and Abuja–Ilorin, which have climbed to between N400,000 and N650,000, making it beyond reach of many Nigerians
While condemning the sudden nationwide fare hike, the Senate called for the immediate appearance of all aviation stakeholders, and directed its aviation committees to submit urgent recommendations for consideration.
Moving the motion, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Abdulfatai Buhari , warned that preliminary findings showed that the steep ticket prices had forced many Nigerians to shelve travel plans this December.
“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 said, adding that with Christmas fast approaching, Senate intervention was necessary to ease pressure on citizens.
Buhari disclosed that while the committee had held informal interactions with airline operators, no official engagement had taken place, prompting the need for the Senate to summon all major operators, regulators and industry heads to explain the fare regime and propose immediate relief strategies.
Speaking on the motion, senators across party lines condemned the increases. In his remarks, Peter Nwebonyi reported that a flight that previously cost N150,000 to Enugu now goes for N500,000, while another passenger recently bought a Lagos–Abuja ticket for N560,000.
Appropriations Committee chairman, Solomon Adeola, in his contribution, reminded the chamber that airline operators had benefited from multiple government concessions, especially on spare parts, and should be held accountable for the sudden pricing spike.
But Orji Uzor Kalu attempted to justify the new rates, citing inflation, forex challenges, high operational costs and expensive spare parts. His defence was rejected by a number of senators who insisted the fare hike amounted to daylight exploitation.
In his submission, Senate President Godswill Akpabio sided with the majority, describing the situation as untenable.
“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,” he said, stressing that neither airport levies nor aviation service charges had increased in any way that could justify a 200–300 percent jump in airfares.
After extensive debate, the Senate resolved to summon the Minister of Aviation, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and all airline operators for a crisis meeting within the week.
