Aviation fuel price hike: Domestic airlines threaten shutdown April 20

The Airline Operators of Nigeria has warned that domestic airlines may suspend operations nationwide from April 20, if the rising cost of aviation fuel is not urgently addressed.

In a letter issued to journalists on Wednesday, dated April 14, 2026, and addressed to the Executive Secretary of the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria, Clement Isong, the President of AON, Abdulmunaf Sarina, said the surge in the price of Jet A1 had become unbearable for operators.

The letter read, “Our letter dated March 30, 2026, on the above subject matter refers. Permit us to further bring to your notice that the price of Jet A1 as sold by marketers has risen significantly from the initial N900/litre as at February 28, 2026, to N3,300/litre as of today.

“This represents an increase of over 300%. This astronomical and artificial increase is not commensurate with the rise in crude oil prices and is well above international market benchmarks, which reflect approximately a 30% increase in crude oil cost.” Punch