The Nigerian Senate has slammed a sharp surge in domestic airfares, describing the hikes as “outrageous” and “completely unacceptable.” Lawmakers have summoned the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, along with senior officials from key aviation agencies, for urgent explanations.
Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, representing Oyo North, highlighted the scale of the increases, saying fares that previously ranged between 150,000 and 250,000 naira have now soared to between 500,000 and 650,000 naira on major domestic routes. Other senators shared similar accounts, emphasizing that the skyrocketing costs are putting air travel out of reach for ordinary Nigerians.
Rejecting claims from airlines that operational costs justify the increases, the Senate accused carriers of taking advantage of passengers, warning that such practices are unacceptable.
Stakeholders from the aviation sector are expected to appear before the Senate in the coming days to account for the “unprecedented” fare hikes. NIM
