Obiorah Okonkwo, executive chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, has called on the National Assembly to address the issue of multiple taxation affecting domestic airlines.
Speaking at the inauguration of commercial operations at the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Airport, Okonkwo said excessive taxes imposed on airlines are a major factor driving up the cost of air tickets in the country.
He explained that reducing these taxes would make air travel more affordable for Nigerians.
“I know some people may be complaining about the cost of tickets. My first advice is to buy your ticket very early. If you buy your ticket early enough, you will get lower rates,” he said.
“The other thing is to help us pray that, with the support of the National Assembly whose leadership and members are already working on this the government will look into the multiple taxes plaguing the airline industry.
“We are subjected to about 18 different taxes on a single ticket. So for any ticket you buy, about 70 percent of the cost goes to government agencies. If the National Assembly helps us reduce these charges, which are legislative in nature, we will also be able to reduce ticket prices so they become affordable to all.”
The Senate recently summoned Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development, along with key industry stakeholders, for an urgent meeting over the sharp increase in domestic airfares.
The resolution followed a motion raised by Abdulfatai Buhari, senator representing Oyo North, who warned that escalating airfare prices threaten national mobility and could disrupt travel ahead of the festive season.
Speaking with journalists on Wednesday, Keyamo attributed the high domestic airfares to aircraft scarcity and inadequate maintenance infrastructure in the country.
Meanwhile, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced that it will prohibit air ticket taxes across all airports in the subregion starting January 2026.
According to ECOWAS, the decision aims to reduce airfares and deepen regional economic integration, noting that high ticket prices are largely driven by government taxes and aviation charges.
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