JetA1: FG moves to halt airfare hikes, airlines shut down

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo has summoned a high-level emergency meeting for April 22, 2026, to avert a looming airline shutdown and massive airfare hikes triggered by a 300 percent surge in aviation fuel prices.

The Federal Government has moved to prevent a potential collapse of the aviation sector by scheduling an emergency stakeholders’ meeting on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. The intervention, announced by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, comes in response to threats from airline operators to suspend services or drastically increase airfares. The crisis stems from a staggering 300 percent rise in the price of aviation fuel (Jet A1), which has reportedly skyrocketed from N900 to over N3,000 per liter, placing an unsustainable financial burden on domestic carriers.

In a formal letter addressed to airline operators on April 16, Minister Keyamo emphasized the government’s commitment to finding a sustainable resolution to the pricing crisis. The meeting, set to take place in Abuja, will bring together regulatory authorities and key industry players to deliberate on immediate measures to stabilize the sector. This move follows weeks of growing tension within the industry, as operators warned that the current cost of operations would inevitably lead to a total shutdown if government intervention was not forthcoming.

Minister Keyamo assured the operators that their grievances have reached the highest levels of government and are being treated with urgency. Reaffirming the state’s role in safeguarding the industry, he stated: “I wish to formally assure you that the concerns raised by your members have received the full attention of the federal government and we shall take immediate steps to address the issues. Accordingly, a high-level emergency stakeholders’ meeting has been scheduled to be held on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026, in Abuja, bringing together all relevant stakeholders and regulatory authorities with a view to achieving a prompt, practical, and sustainable resolution. The venue and time will be communicated in due course.”

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