The House of Representatives on Thursday called on the Federal Government to grant immediate tax waivers to airlines in order to ease the rising cost of flight tickets ahead of the Yuletide season. Lawmakers also recommended a 50 percent reduction in auxiliary charges within the aviation sector, while rejecting proposals for direct subsidies on airline tickets.
Gatekeepers News reports that the resolution followed heated debates over soaring domestic airfare. Senator Buhari Abdulfatai of Oyo State, who led the discussion, highlighted complaints from Nigerians about skyrocketing ticket prices, revealing that a one-way flight from Abuja to Lagos now costs between N400,000 and N600,000, a figure many citizens can no longer afford.
“We need to invite stakeholders of our airline agencies to interact and interrogate the issues. Immediate steps must be taken before the festive period,” Abdulfatai said during plenary.
Other lawmakers, including Senators Adamu Aliero and Onyekachi Nwebonyi, described the fare increases as unacceptable, with Nwebonyi condemning what he termed an unheard-of 400 percent surge in ticket costs.
Senate Summons Aviation Minister
Earlier in the week, the Senate summoned the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, and other stakeholders over the rising cost of flight tickets, underscoring growing concerns in both chambers of the National Assembly.
Airline Operators Seek Legislative Intervention
The Executive Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Obiorah Okonkwo, also called on the National Assembly to intervene in addressing multiple taxation issues within the sector. Speaking at the inauguration of commercial operations at Ekiti Agro-Allied International Airport on Wednesday, Okonkwo said taxes imposed on airlines are driving up ticket prices.
“We are taxed about 18 taxes on one single ticket. So any ticket you buy, maybe 70 percent of it goes to other government agencies,” Okonkwo said.
“If the National Assembly helps us reduce these things, which are legislative in nature, we will be able to reduce the cost of the ticket so that it should be affordable to all.”
Okonkwo added that with legislative support, airlines could lower fares and make air travel accessible to more Nigerians, particularly during the holiday season.
