By Damilare Adeleye
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has summoned an emergency meeting following a threat by airline operators to suspend flight operations across the country over a sharp rise in the price of aviation fuel.
This was just as he appealed to the domestic airline operators to shelve their planned shutdown.
In a letter dated April 16, 2026, addressed to the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), the minister urged restraint amid mounting concerns over a reported 300 per cent surge in the cost of Jet A1 fuel.
Earlier, the AON had hinted that airlines across the country may suspend operations from April 20, 2026, over an “astronomical and unsustainable” rise in the price of Jet A1 fuel.
In a letter dated April 14, 2026, and addressed to the Executive Secretary of the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN), Mr Clement Isong, AON said the cost of aviation fuel has surged from N900 per litre as of February 28 to N3,300 per litre — an increase of over 300 per cent within weeks.
The body claimed that the spike is “artificial” and far exceeds global trends, adding that international crude oil prices have risen by only about 30 per cent within the same period.
It said airlines have continued to absorb the rising costs for over four weeks out of “patriotism and in the spirit of service to the nation,” but warning that the burden is no longer manageable.
In response, Keyamo acknowledged the challenges facing operators but warned that abrupt fare hikes or service disruptions could have wider economic consequences.
“I urge your members to exercise restraint with respect to any proposed increase in airfares at this time,” the minister said, noting that higher ticket prices would impose hardship on passengers and reduce access to air travel for many Nigerians.
He also appealed to the operators to reconsider any planned suspension of flights, stressing that such action could disrupt mobility, weaken logistics networks, and erode public confidence in the aviation sector.
The minister emphasised that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu considers aviation a strategic sector critical to trade, national security, job creation, and economic integration.
Keyamo further assured operators that the Federal Government was actively engaging with stakeholders to address the situation.
He disclosed that an emergency stakeholders’ meeting had been scheduled for April 22, 2026, in Abuja, bringing together key industry players and regulators to find a practical and sustainable solution to the crisis.
“Accordingly, a high-level emergency stakeholders’ meeting has been scheduled to hold on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026 in Abuja, bringing together all relevant stakeholders and regulatory authorities with a view to achieving a prompt, practical, and sustainable resolution. The venue and time will be communicated in due course,” the letter partly read.