Jet fuel crisis: Keyamo urges airlines over threat to ground domestic flights

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has appealed to domestic airline operators to suspend plans to ground flights next week over the sharp increase in the price of Jet A1 aviation fuel, warning that any shutdown would have serious economic and social consequences.

The minister’s intervention followed threats by the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) to halt domestic flight operations in protest against what the group described as a 300 per cent surge in fuel prices, which it said had placed airlines under severe financial pressure.

In a letter dated April 16, 2026, and addressed to the President of the AON in Lagos, Keyamo urged airline operators to show restraint on planned airfare increases and reconsider any suspension of operations while the Federal Government seeks urgent solutions to the crisis.

He acknowledged the operational difficulties confronting local carriers, noting that the price of Jet A1 fuel had reportedly risen from N900 per litre on February 28, 2026, to N3,300 per litre, representing a 300 per cent increase.

The minister commended domestic airlines for their resilience and professionalism in maintaining services despite mounting costs and challenging business conditions.

He said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu considers the aviation industry a strategic national asset critical to trade, national security, employment generation, and national integration.

According to him, the government has already initiated major reforms aimed at supporting the growth and sustainability of indigenous carriers.

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Keyamo urged airline operators not to immediately transfer the burden of higher fuel prices to passengers through fare increases.

He warned that a sudden rise in ticket prices would worsen hardship for Nigerians, reduce passenger demand, and make air travel inaccessible to many citizens.

“While the prevailing cost pressures on your operations are fully acknowledged, any immediate upward adjustment in ticket prices would impose significant hardship on the travelling public,” the minister stated.

The minister also appealed for the reconsideration of any planned suspension of flights, saying such a move would disrupt national mobility, logistics chains, and economic activities across the country.

He noted that grounding domestic flights would erode public confidence in the aviation system and undermine progress recorded under ongoing sector reforms.

The threat by airlines has raised concerns among travellers and businesses, especially as air transport remains a key link between major commercial centres such as Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Kano.

To address the dispute, Keyamo announced that the Federal Government had convened a high-level emergency stakeholders’ meeting for Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Abuja.

He said the meeting would bring together relevant regulatory agencies, airline operators, fuel marketers, and other stakeholders to seek a practical and lasting resolution.

“The concerns raised by your members have received the full attention of the Federal Government and we shall take immediate steps to address the issues,” the minister said.

The AON had earlier warned that domestic carriers were facing an “existential threat” due to what it termed an “astronomical and artificial increase” in Jet A1 prices imposed by private fuel marketers.

The association said airlines could not continue operations under current market conditions, adding that if fares were adjusted fully to reflect rising fuel costs, passenger demand would collapse.

“If we price tickets to reflect current fuel costs, we will be flying empty planes,” the group said in a communication to fuel suppliers.

However, the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria disputed the airlines’ figures. Its Chief Executive Officer, Clement Isong, reportedly said the spot price of Jet A1 on April 14 stood at N1,832 per litre, significantly lower than the N3,300 cited by airlines.

He added that operators could reduce exposure to volatile fuel prices through long-term supply contracts and hedging arrangements.