The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has issued a formal notice to suspend all domestic flight operations nationwide effective Monday, April 20, 2026, citing an "astronomical and unsustainable" surge in aviation fuel prices that has rendered operations commercially unviable. The threat, contained in a letter dated April 14 and signed by AON President Abdulmunaf Sarina, marks an escalation of a crisis that has been brewing since late March. According to the operators, the price of Jet A1 has skyrocketed from N900 per litre as of February 28 to N3,300 per litre within less than two months, a staggering increase of over 300%. The AON noted that this spike is entirely disproportionate to global crude oil price movements, which have risen by approximately 30% over the same period, raising "serious concerns about pricing distortions" and what the association described as artificial market exploitation. In the letter addressed to Clement Isong, Executive Secretary of the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN), and copied to President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo, the AON warned that aviation fuel now consumes more than 40% of operational costs, making it impossible for carriers to cover even basic expenses. "Airline revenues are insufficient to cover the cost of fuel alone, which is only one of many operational expenses incurred daily," the letter stated, adding that the situation is "becoming unbearable and definitely unsustainable". The crisis has already claimed its first casualty. The AON revealed that at least one domestic airline has been forced to ground its entire fleet since March 13, 2026, due to the escalating fuel costs, with the association warning that this fate "may become inevitable for other airlines if the situation does not change immediately". The operators face an impossible dilemma: raising ticket fares to reflect current fuel prices would likely crash passenger demand in an already fragile economy, while continuing to fly under present conditions guarantees mounting financial losses. "If we price our tickets to reflect the current price of aviation fuel, we will be flying empty planes," the AON cautioned. The association warned that a nationwide shutdown would trigger cascading consequences beyond the aviation sector. Banks with exposure to airline debt would take significant hits, millions of livelihoods tied to the aviation value chain would be jeopardized, and insecurity could worsen due to disrupted logistics and economic activity. This latest ultimatum follows an earlier warning issued on March 30, when Jet A1 had climbed to N2,557 per litre. The AON had demanded a price reversal within 48 hours at that time, but conditions have only deteriorated since. Describing aviation as "a sector of strategic national importance," the association stated that the current pricing regime is "unhealthy and detrimental to national wellbeing". In response to the allegations, MEMAN Executive Secretary Clement Isong told Daily Trust that he was unaware of the prices being quoted by the airlines and dismissed claims of extortion. He attributed the price volatility to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East disrupting global oil supply chains, though he maintained the increase is "not as bad as the figure being quoted by the airlines". As the April 20 deadline approaches, all eyes now turn to Abuja for potential government intervention.

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