Nigeria's domestic airlines have warned they will suspend all operations from 20 April 2026 unless the government intervenes to address what they describe as an "astronomical and unsustainable" surge in aviation fuel prices. The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), the main association representing the country's carriers, issued the threat in a letter dated 14 April addressed to fuel industry regulators and copied to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the vice president, the minister of aviation, and several other senior officials.

At the heart of the crisis is the price of Jet A1 fuel, the standard kerosene-based fuel used in commercial aviation. According to the AON, prices have risen more than 300 per cent in recent weeks — from around 900 naira per litre to approximately 3,300 naira — far outpacing movements in global crude markets, which have seen increases of only around 30 per cent over the same period. The AON attributes part of the global pressure to escalating tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which have disrupted international oil flows, but argues that Nigeria's domestic fuel market has been hit disproportionately hard, with fuel marketers accused of imposing arbitrary pricing on top of underlying cost increases. "Airline revenues are insufficient to cover the cost of fuel alone," the association stated in its letter. At least one domestic carrier has already been forced to halt operations since 13 March, the AON confirmed.

Nigeria, Africa's most populous country and its largest economy, depends heavily on domestic air travel to connect a vast and poorly road-linked territory. A nationwide grounding of flights would ripple across passenger travel, cargo logistics, banking, and trade — sectors that rely on the speed and reach that aviation provides. The AON acknowledged the bind airlines face: raising fares steeply enough to offset costs risks collapsing passenger demand, while suspending operations entirely could trigger wider economic disruption.

The industry was already under strain before the fuel crisis, grappling with a shortage of foreign exchange needed to pay for aircraft leases and spare parts, high maintenance costs, and ageing airport infrastructure. The AON's letter is as much a plea for structural reform as an immediate warning. Stakeholders are calling on the government to stabilise fuel prices, possibly through regulatory intervention in the aviation fuel market or temporary financial support for carriers. As of the time of reporting, neither regulators nor fuel marketers had issued an official response. Analysts warn that without swift action, what begins as an aviation crisis could quickly become a broader economic one.