Keyamo urges airlines to halt fare hike, flight suspension over 300% Jet fuel surge

Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has appealed to domestic airline operators to suspend plans to increase airfares or halt flight operations following a sharp rise in the price of Jet A1 fuel.

In a letter addressed to the Airline Operators of Nigeria on Thursday, posted on the minister’s X handle, Keyamo urged restraint amid reports that airlines were considering suspending services next week due to escalating operational costs.

The minister said the price of Jet A1 fuel had surged from N900 per litre as of February 28, 2026, to N3,300 per litre, representing a 300 per cent increase, a development he acknowledged had placed significant pressure on airline operations.

“I write in reference to your correspondence dated April 14, 2026, concerning the operational challenges currently confronting your member airlines, especially the sudden hike in Jet A1 fuel from N900 per liter as at February 28, 2026 to N3.300 per liter as at today, representing a three hundred percent (300 %) increase.

“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. The minister said

Keyamo, however, cautioned that any immediate increase in ticket prices would worsen the economic burden on Nigerians and could reduce access to air travel.

“While the prevailing cost pressures on your operations are fully acknowledged, any upward adjustment in airfares at this time would impose significant hardship on the travelling public, potentially depress demand, and limit accessibility,” he stated.

He also warned against the suspension of flight operations, noting that such action could have far-reaching consequences for the economy.
“A shutdown would disrupt critical mobility and logistics networks, erode public confidence, and undermine the progress recorded under ongoing reforms in the aviation sector,” the minister added.

Reiterating the Federal Government’s commitment to the aviation industry under the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Keyamo assured operators that their concerns were receiving urgent attention.

According to him, the government has scheduled a high-level emergency stakeholders’ meeting for April 22, 2026, in Abuja to deliberate on the crisis and develop practical solutions.

The meeting, he said, would bring together key industry players and regulatory authorities to chart a sustainable path forward.

“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,” he added

The development comes amid growing tension in Nigeria’s aviation sector, as rising fuel costs continue to threaten the viability of airline operations and raise concerns over possible disruptions to domestic air travel.