Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN, has appealed to domestic airlines to shelve plans to increase airfares and threats to suspend operations as aviation fuel, known as JetA1, rose to above N3000 per liter from N900.
The minister’s intervention follows threats by members of the Airline Operators of Nigeria to halt flights next week over the soaring price of Jet A1 fuel, which has surged by 300 percent.
In a letter dated April 16, 2026, addressed to the airline body, Keyamo acknowledged the “operational challenges” facing operators, particularly the spike in Jet A1 from N900 per litre as of February 28 to about N3,300 per litre.
“At the outset, I wish to commend the resilience, professionalism, and steadfast commitment of your members in sustaining air transport services under evidently difficult conditions,” he said.
He stressed that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu considers aviation a critical national asset, noting its role in trade, national security, employment, and economic integration.
Despite recognizing the cost pressures on airlines, the minister urged restraint in passing the burden to passengers.
“While the prevailing cost pressures on your operations are fully acknowledged, any immediate upward adjustment in ticket prices would impose significant hardship on the traveling public, potentially depress demand, and limit accessibility to air transport,” he stated.
Keyamo also warned against suspending flight operations, saying such a move would negatively impact the economy and disrupt mobility across the country.
“Such action would have far-reaching adverse implications for the national economy, disrupt critical mobility and logistics networks, erode public confidence, and undermine the progress recorded under ongoing reforms,” he added.
The minister, however, assured operators that the federal government is taking their concerns seriously and would act swiftly to address the situation.
Consequently, he announced that an emergency stakeholders’ meeting has been scheduled for April 22, 2026, in Abuja to find a “prompt, practical, and sustainable resolution” to the crisis.
DAILY POST reports that airline services may risk shutting down from next week over the rising cost of JetA1.
Airline operators had threatened to shut down operation or raise airline prices massively if the Nigerian government fails to intervene in the sector’s energy crisis.
