Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said increased competition among domestic airlines will help reduce airfares across the country, following complaints over the high cost of local flights.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Keyamo said domestic ticket prices had dropped significantly from the high fares recorded during the Christmas period, attributing the reduction to the Federal Government’s policy of encouraging more airlines into the market.
“What did you pay during Christmas? Four hundred and something, five hundred thousand. What is it now? It’s a hundred and something. We are forcing it down by competition. We have opened the doors,” the minister said.
Keyamo noted that Nigeria was witnessing an unprecedented increase in the number of commercial airlines, citing the launch of Enugu Air and the planned commencement of operations by Caliphate Airlines in Sokoto. He added that the Tinubu administration had made the growth and sustainability of local airlines a key priority.
On the high cost of aviation fuel, the minister explained that Jet A1 is a petroleum product regulated by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, not the aviation ministry. He, however, said he had engaged fuel marketers on the issue, adding that prices, which recently rose partly due to the Iran conflict, had begun to decline.
Commenting on recent aviation incidents, Keyamo described the Enugu Air runway excursion at Benin Airport as an isolated case linked to a slippery runway.
He urged the public to await the outcome of investigations. He also confirmed that the recent private jet incident in Asaba was a security breach, disclosing that the pilot and crew of the American-registered aircraft were being questioned by the Department of State Services (DSS).
He added that the government was considering concessioning more non-performing airports to improve efficiency.
