Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has urged Air France-KLM, a French airline, to make its lower-priced ticket fares available to Nigerian travellers.
The call came during a meeting between Minister Keyamo and representatives from Air France-KLM, as disclosed in a press statement signed by Tunde Moshood, the Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the Minister, on Monday.
The statement said that Air France-KLM, along with other foreign airlines, had suspended their low-priced tickets for Nigerian routes over two years ago due to inaccessible ticket revenue amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars.
However, in March, these airlines began restoring their low-priced fares following the finalisation of approximately $7 billion in backlog payments by the Central Bank of Nigeria, which included over $700 million in unremitted ticket revenue.
During the meeting, Air France-KLM expressed appreciation for the improved facilities at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, especially acknowledging the enhanced experience at Wing E.
The airline also thanked Minister Keyamo for his leadership in fostering a smoother relationship between their team and various aviation regulatory agencies.
Air France-KLM announced the launch of their new Airbus A330/A350 aircraft.
“During the meeting, Air France-KLM expressed appreciation for the improved facilities at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, particularly acknowledging the enhanced experience at wing E. They also extended gratitude for the Minister’s leadership in fostering a smoother relationship between their team and various aviation regulatory agencies,” he said.
Furthermore, the airline commended Minister Keyamo for his intervention and successful facilitation of fund repatriation.
In response, Minister Keyamo welcomed the Air France-KLM team and expressed gratitude for their visit.
He urged the airline to consider offering lower-priced ticket fares to ensure parity with fares in neighbouring regions.
