Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has clarified that the Federal Government has no legal authority to regulate or fix domestic airfares, despite concerns raised by the Senate over the recent spike in ticket prices. Speaking to journalists after Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council meeting, Keyamo emphasised that Nigeria’s aviation sector has been fully deregulated for years.
The minister acknowledged the Senate’s summons but explained that he was unable to appear before lawmakers due to the FEC meeting. He said he had instructed the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and domestic airlines to honour the invitation and provide the necessary explanations to the upper chamber.
Keyamo stressed that although the government cannot impose pricing on private airlines, it continues to engage stakeholders to ensure fairness in the sector. According to him, deregulation allows airlines to fix fares based on operational realities, but it does not prevent ongoing dialogue to protect consumer interests.