As the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has continued unabated with jet fuel prices getting out of reach, there are indications that domestic airlines in Nigeria will shut down operations effective Thursday, April 30, 2026, raising fresh fears of widespread travel disruption across the country. An insider source says the airlines, having engaged both the Federal Government and oil marketers without a breakthrough, may be left with no option but to ground flights by Thursday.
This shutdown is coming after several complaints by flight operators, who have watched the price of Jet A1 surge by over 300 per cent compared to February levels, pushing operating costs to the brink.
Passengers, and many travellers who rely on domestic flights for business and urgent travel, will now face uncertainty.
In a swift reaction, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo convened a meeting with airline operators and fuel marketers in Abuja last week. However, to fine-tune a breakthrough, the talks ended in a deadlock, with operators unwilling to shift their stance unless decisive action is taken.
At the end of the two-day meeting, the minister announced a 30 per cent reduction in aviation-related taxes as part of efforts to ease the burden on airlines. While the gesture was acknowledged, operators insist it falls short of addressing the root problem.
Speaking to newsmen after the first meeting, Vice President of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, Allen Onyema, welcomed the government’s intervention but maintained that fuel marketers must account for the sharp rise in prices.
According to Onyema, “This government has helped the industry more than anyone since 1999, and the President is even willing to waive 30 per cent of the debts airlines are owing.
“But the truth is that the marketers must be brought to book to explain how they came about the 300 per cent increase when even Dangote is surprised because what he is selling to us is still the cheapest.”
Subsequently, at the end of the second day, Onyema issued a stark warning, giving a seven-day ultimatum from midnight last Thursday for action to be taken. “Since the advent of the US-Iran war, there has been a spike in aviation fuel in Nigeria, which we, the Airline Operators of Nigeria, feel is not proportionate to the hike internationally.
“We expect that in the next 48 hours something drastic should be done because no airline will fly in this country in the next seven days if nothing is done, not because they don’t want to fly but because fuel may not be available to us at sustainable pricing.”
Explaining further, Onyema disclosed that fuel prices have skyrocketed from about N900 per litre before the crisis to between N2,700 and N2,900, with some marketers selling as high as N3,500.
“Before the crisis, we were buying fuel at about N900 per litre. Now it has risen to between N2,700 and N2,900, with some selling as high as N3,300 to N3,500,” he said.
According to him, airlines are now operating primarily to service fuel costs. “All the airlines in Nigeria have been flying to pay fuel marketers only, and you don’t want to compromise safety,” he added.
Despite speculations about indebtedness, senior airline officials insisted that operators are up-to-date with payments to key aviation agencies, including the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency.
It was learnt that the Airline Operators of Nigeria have formally requested additional relief measures from the government. In the letter dated April 21 and signed by AON President Abdulmunaf Sarina, the group called for the immediate suspension of aviation taxes, fees, and charges for at least six months.
The operators argued that the unprecedented rise in fuel costs threatens not only airline operations but also jobs and the stability of the aviation sector. Among other demands, the AON proposed the introduction of a non-taxable fuel surcharge, a standard practice in international aviation to help airlines manage rising costs.
They also urged the government to direct oil marketers to issue credit notes to airlines affected by what they described as excessive and arbitrary price hikes. In addition, the group called for the establishment of an industry tax reform committee to review existing charges, assess their relevance, and align them with global standards.
As the deadline approaches, uncertainty hangs over Nigeria’s aviation sector. Another airline executive hinted that the shutdown threat remains real. “If nothing is done, no airline will be flying by Thursday,” he said.