Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has expressed optimism that increased competition among domestic airlines will continue to drive down the cost of air travel in Nigeria.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, the minister said airfares had dropped significantly from the peak prices recorded during the Christmas season, attributing the decline to the entry of more operators into the country’s aviation 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, ” he said.
Keyamo said Nigeria was witnessing an unprecedented influx of new commercial airlines, a development he described as a major boost for the aviation industry.
He cited Enugu Air as one of the new entrants and disclosed that Caliphate Airlines would soon begin operations from Sokoto.
According to the minister, the current administration has deliberately created an environment that encourages the growth and sustainability of indigenous airlines.
“It’s only President Bola Tinubu’s government that has made it a point, a one-point agenda, to support the sustenance of local airlines,”.
Addressing concerns over the high cost of aviation fuel, popularly known as Jet A1, Keyamo explained that the commodity falls under the jurisdiction of the petroleum sector and not the Ministry of Aviation.
He said although he had held meetings with fuel marketers to address rising costs, his ministry lacked the authority to regulate fuel prices.
The minister attributed previous increases in Jet A1 prices partly to global factors, including the conflict involving Iran, noting that prices had begun to decline.
On the recent Enugu Air runway excursion at Benin Airport, Keyamo described the incident as an isolated case caused by a slippery runway and urged the public not to speculate while investigations were ongoing.
The aircraft, an Embraer E170 arriving from Lagos, overshot the runway, but all passengers and crew members were safely evacuated without injuries.
He also confirmed that the recent incident involving an American-registered private jet in Asaba was a security breach.
According to the minister, the aircraft’s pilot and crew have been taken into the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) for questioning as investigations continue.
Keyamo further disclosed that the Federal Government was considering the concession of more airports that are not financially viable as part of efforts to improve operational efficiency and attract greater private sector participation in the aviation industry.
