Nigeria’s aviation industry is on the brink of a shutdown as airline operators warn that soaring jet fuel prices have pushed the sector to a breaking point, raising fears of widespread flight suspensions and economic disruption.
Under the aegis of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, the carriers disclosed that the price of Jet A1 has surged by over 300 per cent in less than three months. This represents a jump from N900 per litre as at February 28 to about N3,300 currently, an increase they described as “astronomical” and unsustainable.
In a strongly worded letter addressed to the Executive Secretary of the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria, Clement Isong, with President Bola Tinubu copied, the operators lamented the spike, saying, “Permit us to further bring to your notice that the price of Jet A1 as sold by marketers has risen significantly from N900 per litre as at February 28, 2026, to N3,300 per litre as at today. This represents an increase of over 300 per cent.”
The group faulted the pricing regime, arguing that it bears no correlation with global oil market realities. AON said, “This astronomical and artificial increase is not commensurate with the rise in crude oil prices and is well above international market benchmarks, which reflect approximately a 30 per cent increase in crude oil cost.”
The airlines said they have absorbed the rising costs to keep flights running for a while, but hinted that their resilience has been overstretched. “For the past four weeks, airlines have endured this burden and continued operations out of patriotism and in the spirit of service to the nation. However, the situation has now become unbearable and clearly unsustainable,” the operators added.
They warned that the financial strain has eroded their capacity to operate, stressing that earnings can no longer cover even basic fuel expenses. The operators accused fuel marketers of crippling the sector, cautioning that the consequences could ripple across the economy and national security.
“Currently, airline revenues are insufficient to cover the cost of fuel alone, which is only one of many operational expenses incurred daily. The situation continues to deteriorate. The actions of fuel marketers are effectively decimating the aviation industry and putting the nation’s economy, safety, and security at risk, as airlines are gradually being forced to suspend operations.”
The association further revealed that at least one airline has shut down operations under the weight of rising fuel costs. “For the avoidance of doubt, this arbitrary increase has already severely impacted one airline, forcing it to ground all operations since March 13, 2026. This may become inevitable for other airlines if the situation does not change immediately,” AON warned.
Painting a grim picture of the human and economic impact, the operators said millions of livelihoods are at stake. “If ticket prices are adjusted to reflect the current cost of aviation fuel, flights will operate with low passenger loads. Conversely, if airlines cease operations, financial institutions will be impacted, millions of livelihoods will be lost, and insecurity may increase,” they cautioned.
AON, however, appealed for urgent intervention, urging marketers to align prices with global benchmarks. “We therefore urge you to prevail on marketers to proportionately adjust jet fuel prices in line with international market realities, as airlines can no longer sustain purchases at the current exorbitant rates,” the letter stated.
The operators issued a shutdown notice, fixing April 20, 2026, as a possible date for industry-wide suspension if no action is taken. “Accordingly, we hereby give NOTICE that if this trend persists, all airlines in Nigeria will be compelled to suspend operations effective Monday, April 20, 2026. This serves as our final appeal,” the statement concluded.
Copies of the letter were also sent to Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services.
When contacted, industry experts threw their weight behind the operators, warning that airlines cannot be expected to continue operations at a loss without urgent government intervention.
An aviation analyst, Olumide Ohunayo, said the situation has stretched operators beyond their limits. He said, “They have been pushed to their elastic limits. We are an oil-producing country; other countries would have made strategic reserves for their citizens or cut off taxes. This is about the second month, and the government has not reacted, and all these things are not done anywhere.”
Ohunayo faulted the government’s silence on the development in the last two months, urging authorities to adopt global best practices.
He stated, “The government should have looked at what has been done in other climates. I support their letters; we must even thank them for not reflecting the realities in the cost of tickets. You can imagine that aviation fuel has gone up to over 200 per cent.”
He further stressed that while direct subsidies may be contentious, targeted intervention is necessary to sustain flight operations. “You might not give subsidies to price carriers, but what about the scheduled operations? Something urgent should be done,” he said.
Another industry expert, Muhammed Badasi, also backed the airlines, noting that no business can survive prolonged losses. “These people are businessmen, and no one wants to run a business at a loss, so I think they have a point there,” he said.
Badasi, however, advised operators to strengthen their case with comparative data, warning that increasing ticket prices may not provide a solution, given declining passenger demand at current airfares.
He stressed, “What they should also do is to prepare a database to compare the cost of fuel in Nigeria with other countries, as well as charges. If this is presented to the government, they will understand that the airlines have done their best.
“The alternative is to increase airfares, and increasing airfares in commensurate with fuel price will not yield results because people are already running away from flying due to the current prices.”
