Domestic airlines in Nigeria have threatened to suspend operations from Monday, April 20, 2026, following a sharp spike in the price of aviation fuel, raising concerns over a potential shutdown of the country's air transport sector.
The planned action was disclosed in a letter dated April 14, 2026, by the President of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Abdulmunaf Sarina.
According to the association, the price of Jet A1 has risen from N900 per litre as of February 28 to over N3,300 per litre within less than two months--an increase of more than 300 per cent.
In the letter addressed to the Executive Secretary of the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN), Mr. Clement Isong, and copied to top government officials including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the airlines warned that the situation has become unsustainable.
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However, in a swift reaction, the MEMAN Executive Secretary told Daily Trust that he is unaware of the prices being quoted by the airlines even as he dismissed the allegation of extortion leveled against marketers, clarifying that the price hike, which is not as bad as the figure being quoted by the airlines, was driven by the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East which has caused disruption in the global oil market.
The latest letter by the AON was a follow-up to the one earlier written on March 30, 2026 with the heading, "Urgent Call for Proportionate Review of Jet A1 Price."
In the follow-up letter, AON said, "Therefore, we hereby give notice that if the current trend persists, all the airlines in Nigeria will be forced to suspend operations with effect from Monday, April 20, 2026. This is our final plea."
The AON stressed that aviation fuel, which accounts for over 40 per cent of operational costs, has severely impacted airline revenues, pushing operators to the brink.
"The airlines are now facing existential threats with grave attendant consequences to the overall well-being of the nation. If we price our tickets to reflect the current price of aviation fuel, we will be flying empty planes," it said.
The group disclosed that one airline has already been forced to halt operations since March 13, 2026, warning that others could follow if urgent action is not taken.
"For the avoidance of doubt, this arbitrary increase has already seriously impacted a particular airline and forced it to ground all its operations since March 13, 2026. This is an inevitable consequence for all other airlines if the situation does not change immediately."
The airlines also accused fuel marketers of taking advantage of global tensions, particularly in the Middle East, to inflate prices beyond what is justified by international market trends.
"The actions of fuel marketers are effectively decimating the aviation industry and putting the country's economy, safety, and security at risk as airlines are gradually being forced to suspend operations."
They argued that while global crude oil prices have risen by about 30 per cent, the over 300 per cent increase in Jet A1 prices in Nigeria is excessive and unjustifiable.
The AON further warned of the wider economic implications of a shutdown, noting that the collapse of airline operations would affect multiple sectors.
"If the airlines go out of business, banks will take a hit, millions of people will lose their means of livelihood, and insecurity will be on the rise."
The association urged the marketers, through their umbrella body, to urgently intervene and ensure that aviation fuel prices are adjusted in line with global benchmarks.
The latest ultimatum follows an earlier warning issued on March 30, 2026, when Jet A1 prices climbed to N2,557 per litre. At the time, the airlines had demanded a reversal within 48 hours, describing the increase as "astronomical" and inconsistent with global pricing standards.
...Marketers explain price hike
Speaking exclusively with Daily Trust, MEMAN ES while dismissing the N3000 per litre or N2,550 per litre being quoted by the airlines however said the price hike was due to the challenges in the Middle East especially the Strait of Hormuz closure.
He stated that marketers are also finding it extremely difficult to access the product even as Jet A1 also known as ATK (Aviation Turbine Kerosene) is managed differently.
While clarifying the price, he disclosed that the gantry price of Jet A1 as of yesterday was N1,799.15 per litre from Dangote Refinery while the landing cost (the cost of imported product) is N1,832.
"So I am completely unaware of the price they are quoting. I am not so sure that those numbers are correct. But the solution is to go to Dangote or go and buy it at an ex-depot where the price is much cheaper. Some unscrupulous people might try to take advantage but what we do in MEMAN is we try to bring transparency into the market. So we publish Dangote price and we publish the landing cost so that you know about how much the product costs so that when you are negotiating or when you are buying, you know that somebody is not trying to profiteer and you can go and buy from somebody else," he explained.
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He further dismissed the allegation of extortion even as he reiterated that the cost of managing the product is expensive.
He said, "Access to the product is extremely difficult and it is managed differently from the way you manage other products. The pipelines that carry aviation fuel, the vessels that carry aviation fuel, the trucks that carry aviation fuel are all specialised to protect the quality of the product.
"There is also a lot of monitoring and surveillance of every single molecule of this product, from the refinery all the way into planes. So to protect the quality of the product, there is a lot of expenses along the way and then finally, all the lab tests, all the equipment used to remove water (H2O) on the product so that when the product is high in the sky, it doesn't freeze, there is no water, all those things bring additional costs when you compare it with other products that don't have these characteristics."
