The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, has appealed to regular and non-regular fliers to embrace the proposed Fly Nigeria Act from the federal government to ensure that Nigerian flag carriers are given priority for all government-funded travel, whether domestic, regional, or international.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony of the legislative framework on the proposal on Friday, Keyamo revealed that the Act aims to create demand and market opportunities, even for routes not currently operated by Nigerian carriers.

Keyamo added that by incentivising the development of such routes, the proposed legislation seeks to establish a more robust and competitive aviation market for the country.

He described the bold initiative as the right step in the right direction, stressing that the move will help revitalise the sector by empowering local airlines given the critical role the aviation sector plays in driving economic growth, facilitating trade, and fostering connections within and beyond Nigeria’s borders.

“The Fly Nigeria Act summarises that every government-funded trip, whether from a ministry or agency, must patronise the Nigerian flag carrier first before any foreign carrier.

“If you are travelling to the US through London, and the first leg of that trip has a Nigerian flag carrier flying the route, you must use the Nigerian carrier for that leg before connecting to an international carrier,” Keyamo explained.

The federal government is toying with the idea of passing the Fly Nigeria Act into law to ensure that all government-funded trips prioritise Nigerian flag carriers during direct trips and connecting flights.