The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, held a high-level emergency meeting on Wednesday with the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, oil marketers, and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) to address the explosive surge in the price of aviation fuel (Jet A1) and the looming threat of a nationwide flight suspension.

The meeting, held in Abuja, follows a period of intense friction within the industry. Domestic airlines had earlier warned that flight operations across the country were becoming “unsustainable” after the price of Jet A1 skyrocketed from ₦900 per litre on February 28 to approximately ₦3,300 per litre this month. This represents a staggering 300% increase in just under eight over weeks—a spike that operators have labeled as “artificial” and inconsistent with the 30% rise seen in global crude oil prices during the same period.

In a letter addressed to the AON prior to the meeting, Keyamo commended the resilience of domestic carriers but pleaded with them to shelve any plans to ground their fleets. He emphasized that a total shutdown would cause “far-reaching consequences” for the national economy, disrupt essential logistics, and erode public confidence in the aviation sector. The Minister also specifically urged airlines to exercise restraint regarding airfare adjustments, warning that immediate ticket price hikes would impose significant hardship on the traveling public.

The Airline Operators of Nigeria, led by its executive committee, noted that the industry is currently in a state of emergency. According to the AON, at least one domestic airline has already been forced to ground its operations entirely since mid-March 2026 due to the inability to cover fuel costs, which now account for the vast majority of airline expenditures.

The group warned that without a direct intervention or a return to manageable pricing, more carriers could face insolvency.

While the AON has temporarily suspended its planned strike originally set for April 20—pending the outcome of these talks, the atmosphere remains tense. Industry stakeholders are now looking to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and major energy marketers to explain the disparity between global market trends and local pricing.

The Federal Government has assured the public and the operators that it is seeking a “prompt, practical, and sustainable resolution.” As of late Wednesday, the stakeholders were still in deliberations aimed at establishing a more stable fuel supply chain and identifying potential subsidies or price caps to prevent a total collapse of the domestic aviation market.