Keypoints
- The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has warned that domestic flight operations may be suspended starting April 20, 2026.
- The price of Jet A1 (aviation fuel) has surged to ₦3,300 per litre, a 300% increase from the ₦900 recorded in February.
- AON President Dr. Abdulmunaf Yunusa Sarina noted that one airline has already been forced to suspend operations since mid-March.
- The body claims fuel costs alone now exceed total airline revenues, making current operations economically unsustainable.
- Formal notices have been sent to President Bola Tinubu and Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo, calling for immediate intervention.
Main Story
Nigeria’s domestic aviation sector is on the brink of a total shutdown following a historic spike in the cost of aviation fuel. The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) issued a stern notice on Wednesday, alerting the government and the public that the “unprecedented” rise to ₦3,300 per litre has made it impossible to maintain flight schedules beyond April 20.
Dr. Abdulmunaf Yunusa Sarina, AON President, pointed out that while global crude oil prices have only fluctuated by about 30%, the local price of Jet A1 has tripled in just two months.
The association argued that fuel marketers are driving a price hike that does not reflect international market realities, putting the nation’s economy, safety, and security at risk.
Sarina emphasized that airlines have absorbed these costs for four weeks out of “national responsibility,” but revenues are no longer sufficient to cover fuel costs, let alone maintenance, salaries, and other overheads. With one airline already grounded since March 13, the AON warned that a wider shutdown would have a catastrophic ripple effect on financial institutions and jobs.
The Issues
The primary challenge is the cost-revenue mismatch; as AON stated, the current ticket pricing cannot support a ₦3,300 fuel price, yet raising fares further would likely lead to a total collapse in passenger traffic. Authorities must solve the problem of fuel price transparency, as the 300% surge in Nigeria drastically outpaces the 30% rise in global crude benchmarks mentioned by the AON. Furthermore, there is a national-security risk; a grounded domestic fleet would paralyze the movement of goods and personnel, impacting everything from emergency services to corporate logistics. To prevent the April 20 deadline from becoming a reality, the Ministry of Aviation must negotiate a “middle ground” price with the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) while exploring short-term subsidies or special forex windows for fuel imports.
What’s Being Said
- “Airline revenues are insufficient to cover the cost of fuel alone… this situation has become unsustainable,” stated Dr. Abdulmunaf Yunusa Sarina.
- Major fuel marketers have previously cited forex scarcity and high logistics costs as the primary drivers of the price increase at Nigerian depots.
- Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo has been urged by stakeholders to facilitate an emergency meeting between the presidency, marketers, and airlines to avert the shutdown.
- Travelers in Lagos and Abuja expressed dismay at the news, with many fearing that air travel may soon become an “exclusive luxury” if fares are adjusted to reflect the ₦3,300 rate.
What’s Next
- An emergency meeting between the AON, the Ministry of Aviation, and fuel marketers is expected to take place before the April 20 deadline.
- President Bola Tinubu is anticipated to receive a briefing from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) regarding the potential impact of a total fleet grounding on the 2026 economic outlook.
- Flight cancellations may begin as early as this weekend as airlines start “fuel conservation” strategies ahead of the proposed suspension date.
- Fuel marketers may face increased scrutiny or regulatory audits to determine the cause of the 300% price disparity compared to global trends.
Bottom Line
The April 20 ultimatum serves as a final distress signal for the Nigerian aviation industry. Unless the government can bridge the gap between global crude trends and local pump prices, the country’s domestic air travel network may come to a complete standstill next week.
