The recent surge in domestic airfares in Nigeria has sparked justified public outrage, transforming what should be a vital national connector into an unaffordable luxury for millions. Tickets for flights under one hour, especially to Eastern routes, now command a staggering N400,000 to N500,000. This price spike, occurring in a country with vast distances, dangerous roads, and limited rail links, highlights a severe crisis in mobility and access.
The Anatomy of a Crisis: More Than 50 Charges and Levies
While Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo correctly notes the aviation sector is deregulated, his argument falls short. The government cannot absolve itself of responsibility when its own policies and agencies directly inflate costs. Airlines have revealed they grapple with over 50 different charges and levies imposed by multiple agencies.
These agencies include the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). Industry operators allege that up to 18 separate taxes can apply to a single ticket, with government-imposed costs reportedly accounting for over half of the final fare.
Beyond taxes, airlines face exorbitant aviation fuel prices outside Lagos and Abuja, high maintenance costs worsened by forex pressures, and expensive passenger service charges. Operating routes with low return traffic, especially during peak seasons like Christmas, adds to the financial strain. While airlines cannot be expected to operate at a loss, the endless transfer of these costs to passengers is unsustainable.
A Safety-Driven Necessity, Not a Whim
This fare crisis is particularly cruel because for many Nigerians, air travel is no longer a choice of convenience but one of safety. With worsening insecurity on highways—including risks of kidnapping, banditry, and fatal accidents—flying has become a critical necessity.
Business people, professionals, families, and even public officials now see it as a survival decision. Many save for months to afford a ticket and avoid the perilous roads. The current prices, however, create an impossible trap: unsafe roads below and unaffordable skies above. This dilemma underscores a broader failure in national transport planning and coordination.
Pathways to a Solution: Beyond Populist Rhetoric
The solution is not simplistic price-fixing. It requires a serious, coordinated government intervention focused on structural drivers. First, a review and rationalization of the aviation levies is urgent. Multiple overlapping charges must be collapsed into fewer, transparent fees.
Second, targeted, temporary subsidies on aviation fuel or passenger charges at underserved airports should be considered to provide immediate relief. The government must also incentivize competition on monopoly routes, particularly in the East, to ease price pressures.
Third, addressing the foreign exchange challenges is critical. As maintenance, spare parts, and leasing are dollar-denominated, a stable and predictable forex policy for the aviation sector would reduce uncertainty and operating costs.
Aviation policy must balance market principles with the public interest. In a country of Nigeria's size and aspirations, mobility is a catalyst for economic growth and national unity—not a luxury. If the Federal Government is serious about easing citizens' burdens, it must confront the structural issues head-on. Flying should remain a bridge connecting Nigerians, not another barrier deepening inequality in a nation straining under economic hardship.
