Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, has criticized the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) for its “careless” statement on Air Peace‘s airfare pricing.
He said, “They should have contacted the NCAA,” referring to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the regulatory government agency for aviation business, instead of publicly questioning the airline.
This follows the FCCPC’s invitation to Air Peace executives regarding allegations of price gouging.
Keyamo stated that the real issue in the airline industry is not exploitation but “a problem of capacity,” particularly in acquiring aircraft and dealing with fluctuating foreign exchange rates.
He explained, “Nigerian airlines spend majorly foreign exchange due to their need to hire aircraft.”
Keyamo says he is planning a trip to Dublin in January to meet airline financiers and discuss better aircraft rates.
He revealed that Nigeria’s compliance score has improved from 49% to 75.5% thanks to government efforts.
He promised to do all he could as a minister to enhance the capacity of local airlines, reaffirming his commitment to protecting customers while ensuring the survival of the local airlines.
“I must stand in the gap to ensure our local airlines do not go under,” he concluded.
He also urged Nigerians to be patient as the government works on these challenges.
Click the feature video at the top of this article to watch the entire interview with Arise TV.
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