The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to immediately approve tax waivers for airlines in an effort to ease the steep rise in domestic flight prices ahead of the Christmas and New Year travel period.
The lawmakers also proposed a 50 per cent reduction in aviation-related charges but voted against subsidising flight tickets directly.
The resolution was adopted after a debate in the chamber on Thursday, during which several legislators expressed concern over the skyrocketing cost of air travel.
The discussions followed sustained public complaints, with many Nigerians reporting that domestic fares had become unaffordable.
Earlier in the week, the Senate summoned the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, along with industry stakeholders, to address the increase in airfares.
Leading the debate, Senator Buhari Abdulfatai of Oyo State told lawmakers that ticket prices had climbed sharply in recent months.
He revealed that a one-way flight from Abuja to Lagos had risen to between N400,000 and N600,000, making domestic air travel inaccessible for the majority of citizens.
Abdulfatai argued that urgent intervention was needed before the festive season when air travel demand typically peaks.
Other senators echoed the concerns. Senator Adamu Aliero described the fare adjustments as unacceptable, while Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi criticised what he called an unprecedented 400 percent hike.
In a related development, United Nigeria Airlines Executive Chairman Obiorah Okonkwo urged the National Assembly to step in and resolve the issue of excessive taxation in the sector.
Speaking at the inauguration of commercial operations at the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Airport on Wednesday, Okonkwo attributed the rising cost of air travel to multiple layers of taxation.
According to him, airlines are subject to as many as 18 different taxes on each ticket sold. He explained that as much as 70 per cent of ticket revenue goes to various government agencies, leaving airlines with limited room to manage costs.
Okonkwo argued that reducing these taxes through legislative intervention would help bring down fares and make domestic air travel more affordable to Nigerians.
