Eshioromeh Sebastian
The Federal Government has initiated urgent moves to prevent a total shutdown of Nigeria’s aviation industry following a threat by domestic airlines to suspend operations from Monday, April 20, 2026, over a staggering 300 percent increase in the price of JET A1 fuel.
The Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, CON, has summoned a high-level emergency stakeholders’ meeting for Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Abuja, while appealing to the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) to exercise restraint on both airfare adjustments and any planned suspension of flights.
This intervention followed a “final plea” letter dated April 14, 2026, from the AON to fuel marketers, a copy of which was seen by Spear News Nigeria, in which the airlines described the current fuel price trajectory as an “existential threat.”
In their letter signed by AON President, Alhaji (Dr.) Abdulmunaf Yunusa Sarina, the operators revealed that the price of JET A1 has skyrocketed from N900 per liter on February 28, 2026, to N3,300 per liter as of April 14.
The association described the increase as “astronomical and artificial,” noting that it is not commensurate with the global rise in crude oil prices.
“For the past four weeks, airlines have been shouldering this heavy burden and struggling to continue, and it is definitely unsustainable. Today, all the revenue made by airlines does not cover the cost of fuel, which is a single cost component among myriad of other costs,” the letter read in part.
The AON further warned that if airlines adjust ticket prices to reflect current fuel costs, they would be “flying empty planes.” They also noted that one unnamed airline has already been forced to ground all operations since March 13, 2026.
The association gave a clear ultimatum: “If the current trend persists, all the airlines in Nigeria will be forced to suspend operations with effect from Monday, April 20, 2026.”
However, in response letter issued on Friday, April 17 and addressed to the AON President, Keyamo acknowledged the severity of the crisis while appealing for calm.
The Minister commended the “resilience, professionalism, and steadfast commitment” of Nigerian airlines in sustaining air transport under difficult conditions.
He made two immediate appeals:
- Restraint on airfare increases, arguing that an immediate upward adjustment would impose significant hardship on the travelling public and depress demand.
- Reconsideration of the planned suspension of operations, warning that such action would disrupt critical mobility and logistics networks, erode public confidence, and undermine ongoing aviation sector reforms.
Keyamo formally assured the airline operators that their concerns have received the “full attention of the Federal Government.”
The minister who is currently on an official assignments overseas, announced that an emergency stakeholders’ meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Abuja, bringing together all relevant regulatory authorities to achieve a “prompt, practical, and sustainable resolution.”
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