The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has said that high taxes are not responsible for the rising cost of domestic flight tickets in Nigeria. According to the regulator, airlines have repeatedly blamed government charges for high fares, but investigations do not support that claim. The NCAA said it invited all domestic airlines to discussions and none of them confirmed paying the heavy taxes often mentioned in public debates.

The authority also questioned claims that Nigerians enjoy some of the cheapest airfares globally, while at the same time airlines justify very high ticket prices, especially during peak periods like December. It noted that there was no increase in taxes or jet fuel prices when fares suddenly jumped to between ₦350,000 and ₦500,000 for short flights, which raises doubts about the explanations being offered.

The regulator stressed that the federal government, the aviation minister Festus Keyamo, and the Director-General of Civil Aviation have introduced several supportive policies for airlines, including access to dry-leased aircraft — a major reform aimed at reducing operating costs. Because of this, the NCAA believes it is unfair for airlines to keep blaming government policies for price hikes that cannot be clearly justified.

The NCAA said it has also consulted travel agents, airline staff and internal departments, and none agreed that taxes were the main cause of high fares. It warned that spreading inaccurate narratives could damage public trust and urged airlines to be more transparent about what truly drives ticket prices in Nigeria’s aviation sector.