Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo don yarn say increase competition for Nigeria aviation sector go help bring down airfare, as plenty people dey complain about high cost of domestic flights.
Keyamo tok this one during live appearance for Channels Television Politics Today on Thursday. Im say domestic airfare don already drop well well from wetin dem dey pay during Christmas period, and im attribute dis one to increase competition among airlines.
“Guess wetin you pay during Christmas? Four hundred and something, five hundred thousand. Wetin e be now? E be hundred and something. We dey force am down by competition. We don open di doors,” im tok.
Keyamo say there be unprecedented increase for number of airlines wey dey enter Nigeria commercial aviation market, as e mention new carriers and planned operations for different parts of di kontri.
“Under di previous government, you no go see dis kind surge wey wey dey get now into di airline business, commercial airline business, like wetin we get now,” e tok.
E list Enugu Air as one of di new entrants, and e note say Caliphate Airlines dey about to commence operations for Sokoto. According to di minister, di new airlines dey establish on more sustainable business models, unlike for past when many domestic carriers bin struggle to survive.
“E only be President Bola Tinubu government wey make am a point, a one-point agenda, to support di sustenance of local airlines. Di growth and sustenance of local airlines,” Keyamo tok.
As e dey address concerns over aviation fuel cost, Keyamo say di high price of Jet A1 no dey under di regulatory responsibility of Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development. E explain say Jet A1 na petroleum product, so e fall under di purview of petroleum ministry.
Keyamo say im don engage fuel marketers and convene meetings to address di concerns surrounding aviation fuel prices, but e maintain say im no get authority to regulate or determine di price of Jet A1. E attribute di recent sharp increase for aviation fuel price partly to external factors, including di conflict involving Iran, and e add say prices don since begin to decline.
Di minister argue say while di aviation sector dey directly affected by aviation fuel cost, e no go fair to hold di aviation ministry solely responsible for an issue wey dey outside im regulatory mandate.
For di recent Enugu Air incident, Keyamo describe am as isolated incident wey im say bin dey caused by slippery runway. E caution against concluding while investigations into di incident still dey ongoing, saying e too early to provide complete details.
An Enugu Air Embraer E170 aircraft wey bin dey come from Lagos recently overshoot and veer off di runway for Benin Airport. All passengers and crew members bin safely evacuated, wit no injuries reported. For following di incident, di Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria temporarily close di runway for safety inspections, while some domestic airlines bin suspend flights to and from Benin City pending di reopening of di facility.
Keyamo also confirm say di recent private jet incident for Asaba na security breach. E disclose say di pilot and crew members of di American-registered aircraft don enter custody of Department of State Services for questioning.
E say di government also dey consider di concession of more airports wey no dey financially viable as part of efforts to improve dia efficiency and operations.
