..says Air Travel no longer luxury in Nigeria but compulsion due to unsafe Roads

Mr. Moyosola Niran-Oladunni, the Group Managing Chief Executive of CUBEGROUP and Public Commentator, has further weighed in on the recent altercation involving Fuji maestro Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as Kwam 1, and the removal of a female passenger, Ms. Comfort Emmanson, from an Ibom Air flight.

According to him, while public debates have focused on whether the passengers, crew, or airline were at fault, the incident reflects a deeper national problem that transcends aviation.

“The real issue isn’t just in the air—it starts on the ground,” Niran-Oladunni said.

The one-term gubernatorial aspirant in Ondo State further noted that insecurity on Nigerian highways has forced many citizens to abandon road travel for air transport, turning flights from a luxury into a necessity.

“Traveling by road has become a dangerous gamble. Between kidnappings, armed robbery, bandit attacks, and poor policing, many of us simply don’t feel safe on the highways anymore. And so, for most Nigerians who can afford it, flying has become less of a luxury and more of a necessity. Not because we want to, but because we feel we have no other choice.

He argued that the increasing dependence on air travel has created overcrowded, tension-filled flights, which sometimes escalate into conflicts between passengers and airline staff.

Niran-Oladunni further stressed that the only way to address such recurring clashes is by fixing the root cause, which is insecurity on Nigerian roads.

“But what if our roads were secure? Fewer people would be forced into the skies against their will. Airlines would no longer take passengers for granted, they’d have to compete for them, offering better service, more courtesy, and genuine professionalism,” he said.

He urged Nigerians and policymakers to envision a country where citizens travel by choice rather than fear, adding that safer roads would translate into calmer skies.

“Until our roads are safe, our skies will continue to carry the weight of our insecurity. Once the root problem is fixed, both passengers and crew will finally have the space to treat each other with the respect they deserve,” he added.