Keyamo urges airlines to shelve shutdown plans amid soaring aviation fuel costs
Minister of aviation and aerospace development, Festus Keyamo, has appealed to domestic airlines to reconsider their planned suspension of flight operations over the rising cost of aviation fuel, also known as Jet A1.
The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) had warned on Tuesday that all domestic carriers might halt operations from April 20 due to the sharp increase in fuel prices.
According to the group, the cost of Jet A1 rose from ₦900 per litre as of February 28 to about ₦3,300 per litre, representing an increase of over 300 per cent.
The operators noted that while raising ticket fares to reflect the spike in fuel costs could reduce passenger traffic, a total shutdown would have wider implications for jobs, financial institutions, and national security.
In a letter addressed to the AON president, Keyamo urged airline operators to exercise restraint in adjusting ticket prices and reconsider the planned suspension of operations.
“While the prevailing cost pressures on your operations are fully acknowledged, any immediate upward adjustment in ticket prices would impose significant hardship on the travelling public, potentially depress demand, and limit accessibility to air transport for a broad segment of Nigerians,” the minister said.
He warned that a shutdown would negatively affect the national economy, disrupt logistics networks, and erode public confidence in the aviation sector.
The minister assured stakeholders that the federal government is actively addressing the concerns and has scheduled a high-level emergency meeting for April 22, 2026, in Abuja to find a sustainable solution.
