The President of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, Abdulmunaf Sarina, has highlighted a severe crisis as Ibom Airlines Limited reports a more than 350% increase in aviation fuel cost per flight over the past three months.
Fuel Cost Surge Details
According to Aniekan Essienette, Group Manager of Marketing and Communication at Ibom Air, the cost of aviation fuel per flight has skyrocketed from N2.1 million in January to N7.6 million by April 27, 2026. This represents a more than 350% rise since early March, despite the airline using fuel-efficient aircraft and sourcing over 95% of its fuel from the Dangote Oil Refinery.
Essienette stated, “The fuel price situation is an unprecedented crisis for Nigeria’s domestic airlines. At Ibom Air, the cost of fueling our aircraft has more than tripled between January and today. From an average of N2.1m per flight in January, as at today, the 27th of April, we are paying approximately N7.6m to fuel every flight. This is a more than 350% increase since the beginning of March, a space of just 7 weeks! And our aircraft are some of the most fuel efficient in the domestic market.”
Unsustainable Conditions
The airline has been absorbing massive losses due to competitive pressures and patriotism, preventing proportional fare increases. Essienette warned that the current conditions are unsustainable and may force capacity reductions to maintain operations.
“At this point, domestic airlines are baffled at why the price of aviation fuel in Nigeria has ballooned to this level, way above the rest of the world, while the fuel marketers obtain 95% or more of their aviation fuel from Dangote Refinery,” he added. “The situation is exacerbated by the fact that a combination of competitive pressures and patriotism have prevented a commensurate increase in our fares, meaning that we and our fellow domestic airlines have had to absorb the immense operating losses resulting from this situation. We chose to do this believing that the crisis would pass in a week or two, but it has persisted now for nearly two months, continuously increasing, with no reprieve in sight as at today. While we continue to do everything we can to maintain normal operations, it is clear to us that the current conditions are unsustainable.”
Potential Capacity Reductions
Ibom Air noted that worldwide, airlines are reducing flights to manage fuel price increases, even though those increases are far smaller than what Nigeria is experiencing. The airline stated it will also take necessary actions, including reducing capacity, to continue providing services.
“Ibom Air said it notes that, worldwide, where fuel price increases are nowhere near what the aviation sector is facing in Nigeria, airlines are reducing flights to manage the situation. As such, it said it will also have to take whatever ameliorating actions it can in the days ahead, including reducing its capacity if necessary, to be able to continue to provide services to its customers and the country.”
Call for Action
Ibom Air emphasized that if the situation persists, airlines will not be able to continue operating just to pay for fuel. It called on fuel marketers to reconsider pricing to ensure the viability of the airline business model in Nigeria.
This crisis reflects a wider aviation crisis in Nigeria, where jet fuel prices have risen far above global averages due to supply disruptions and pricing dynamics, prompting industry-wide calls for adjustment.
