The Federal Government has asked domestic airlines to postpone any planned shutdowns and to avoid raising ticket prices as jet fuel costs soar. In a letter dated April 16, 2026 addressed to the Airline Operators of Nigeria, Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo warned that the price of Jet A1 fuel had jumped from N900 per litre on February 28, 2026 to about N3,300 per litre – a rise of roughly 300 per cent. Marketers have rejected the N3,300 figure, attributing the increase to global supply disruptions linked to the ongoing Middle East crisis.
Keyamo praised airlines for keeping services running despite the pressure and said the Tinubu administration views aviation as "a critical national asset essential to trade facilitation, national security, employment generation, and overall economic integration." He added that the government has "initiated unprecedented reforms in the sector aimed at supporting the growth and sustenance of the businesses of local operators."
"First, I urge your members to exercise restraint with respect to any proposed increase in airfares at this time," the minister said, noting that higher fares would "impose significant hardship on the travelling public, potentially depress demand, and limit accessibility to air transport for a broad segment of Nigerians." He also appealed for a rethink on any flight suspensions, warning that such action "would have far‑reaching adverse implications for the national economy, disrupt critical mobility and logistics networks, erode public confidence, and undermine the progress recorded under the ongoing reforms within the aviation sector."
An emergency high‑level stakeholders' meeting is set for Wednesday, April 22, 2026 in Abuja, bringing together airline operators, regulators and other key players to seek a practical solution to the fuel crisis.
Minister Festus Keyamo's plea for airlines to hold back fare hikes and avoid suspending flights signals a direct effort to shield passengers from immediate cost shocks. If airlines heed the request, ordinary Nigerians are more likely to see ticket prices stay stable and retain access to scheduled air services. This could prevent a sudden drop in travel demand and preserve the connectivity that supports daily business and personal travel.
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