The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has warned that its members may halt operations from 20 April over an “astronomical and unsustainable” increase in the price of aviation fuel.
The AON, which is an association of airlines in Nigeria, said this in a letter dated 14 April and addressed to the Executive Secretary of the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN), Clement Isong, and copied to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and the Department of State Services (DSS), Channels TV reports.
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“Airline revenues are insufficient to cover the cost of fuel alone,” the AON stated in the letter.
It argued that aviation fuel prices have increased by over 300 per cent since the war in Iran began, from about N900 per litre to about N3,300 per litre.
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PREMIUM TIMES reports that escalating tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran have disrupted global oil flows, contributing to volatility in crude oil and petroleum product prices worldwide.
The association, however, said the sharp rise in Nigeria’s aviation fuel market has far outpaced global oil movements, noting that while international crude prices have seen moderate increases of about 30 per cent over the same period, Jet A1 prices in the country have surged disproportionately.
According to the AON, airlines have continued to operate under increasingly difficult conditions for about four weeks, absorbing rising costs in an effort to maintain flight services across the country despite mounting financial pressure.
The operators said the situation has now reached a critical point, warning that the current pricing structure is no longer sustainable for airlines already struggling with high operational costs and foreign exchange challenges.
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It disclosed that at least one domestic carrier has already been forced to suspend operations since March 13, 2026, as a result of the escalating fuel prices, with concerns that more airlines could follow if urgent intervention is not made.
The association added that airlines are now left with two difficult options: either raise airfares significantly, which could reduce passenger demand, or suspend operations entirely, a move it warned would have wider economic consequences across banking, trade, mobility, and employment.
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