Airfares hit N500k for 1-hour flights as flying becomes elite privilege

Domestic airfares have spiked to N400,000 to N500,000 for flights under one hour, particularly on Eastern routes like Abuja to Enugu, Ilorin, Lagos, or Kebbi. This makes air travel—once a critical connector in a vast country like Nigeria—a luxury for most citizens. The Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, states that government doesn't fix private airline prices, but this argument is incomplete. Airlines report over 50 charges and taxes from agencies like NCAA, FAAN, NAMA, and FIRS, with some tickets bearing up to 18 separate taxes that account for over half the cost. These government-created costs are passed to passengers alongside exorbitant aviation fuel prices (especially outside Lagos/Abuja), forex pressures, and high maintenance costs. With worsening road insecurity (kidnapping, banditry), flying is now a safety necessity for many Nigerians—business people, families, public officials—saving for weeks to avoid dangerous highways. Trapped between unsafe roads and unaffordable skies, citizens face a mobility crisis. Nigeria's rail system lacks nationwide coverage, roads are overstretched and poorly policed, making aviation a public utility, not a luxury. This airfare surge feeds into the broader cost-of-living emergency, increasing business costs and deepening regional inequality. Solution: A coordinated review to streamline aviation levies into fewer, transparent fees; temporary targeted subsidies on fuel/passenger charges at under-served airports; incentivise competition on monopoly routes, especially in the East; stabilise forex access for airline maintenance. Without intervention, flying becomes another symbol of exclusion. What systemic reforms—beyond fare adjustments—would truly make air travel a bridge for national unity rather than a barrier?

SOURCE: https://guardian.ng/opinion/when-flying-becomes-unaffordable-luxury/