Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo has declared that the federal government cannot intervene in the soaring cost of domestic flight tickets, some of which have reportedly climbed to as high as ₦1 million.
Speaking during an interview on Arise TV, Keyamo stressed that the aviation industry is fully deregulated, leaving airlines entirely responsible for setting their own fares.
“The government has absolutely no power to fix prices for private enterprises, including the aviation industry,” he said. According to him, fare adjustments are driven strictly by market forces, operational realities, and each airline’s internal pricing strategy.
Keyamo noted that although the government continues to provide policy support and improve aviation infrastructure, it cannot dictate how much airlines charge passengers.
He urged Nigerians to understand that in a deregulated market, pricing decisions rest solely with operators—making the recent spike in airfares a reflection of industry dynamics rather than government policy.
