Nigeria’s aviation industry is hurtling toward a full-scale shutdown, with domestic airlines warning they may suspend all flight operations from Thursday, April 30, 2026, over a crippling surge in aviation fuel prices.
Operators say the cost of Jet A1 has spiralled out of control, rising by more than 300 per cent since February, and has pushed the sector to the edge of collapse, leaving carriers unable to sustain operations without risking safety or financial ruin.
Multiple industry sources confirmed that talks between airline operators, the Federal Government, and fuel marketers have broken down, leaving the carriers with little choice but to ground flights nationwide if urgent intervention is not made.
Efforts to defuse the crisis stalled after a high-level meeting in Abuja convened by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, ended in a deadlock. Although the government offered a 30 per cent reduction in aviation-related taxes, operators say the relief is insufficient and fails to tackle the root cause—runaway fuel prices.
Vice President of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Allen Onyema, said while the government has shown willingness to support the sector, the role of fuel marketers must be scrutinised.
“This government has helped the industry more than anyone since 1999,” Onyema said. “But the marketers must explain how prices jumped by over 300 per cent.”
He disclosed that aviation fuel, which previously sold for about N900 per litre, now costs between N2,700 and N2,900, with some suppliers charging as high as N3,500 per litre.
“Airlines are now flying just to pay for fuel,” he said. “You don’t want to compromise safety.”
Operators have issued a firm ultimatum, warning that unless immediate action is taken, all domestic flights will be suspended. Onyema noted that while global tensions, including the US-Iran situation, have influenced oil prices, the increases seen locally appear excessive.
In a letter dated April 21, AON President Abdulmunaf Sarina called for sweeping emergency measures, including a six-month suspension of aviation taxes, fees, and charges.
The group also proposed a non-taxable fuel surcharge to cushion the burden on airlines and urged authorities to compel fuel marketers to issue credit notes for what operators described as arbitrary price hikes. They further recommended setting up an industry-wide tax reform committee to review existing levies and align them with global standards.
Despite concerns over possible indebtedness, airline executives maintain they are up to date with payments to key agencies such as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency.