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Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has expressed concern over the growing number of passenger complaints among the indigenous airlines in the country. This came as aviation stakeholders called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene in the rising cost of aviation fuel, warning that the situation could threaten the successful airlift of pilgrims for the 2026 Hajj. The Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NCAA, Michael Achimugu, in a post in his verified X handle, said while there were challenges such as high jet fuel costs, bird strikes and other factors in the sector, the regulatory authority received the majority of complaints against just two airlines. He, however, remained silent on the names of the two airlines with the most passenger complaints of poor service. While insisting that operators must improve crisis management, Achimugu maintained that airlines must provide timely and accurate information to passengers and ensure prompt refunds and compensation where applicable. He said: “You cannot take money from passengers and refuse to refund. It gives us a bad image. Circumstances are as difficult for passengers as they are for operators, if not more so. When a disruption occurs, airline staff must be available to provide information and provide care. The behaviour of running away (sometimes due to fear of being attacked by passengers) has to be adjusted.” The director warned that failure to address the issues could erode public confidence in Nigeria’s aviation industry at a critical time, when the sector was recording notable progress. He further commended the Federal Government for its continued support of industry stakeholders. According to him, recent interventions have not only boosted airlines, but they have also strengthened other service providers, including local catering companies now patronised by international carriers. Achimugu noted that such support places a responsibility on operators to uphold service standards and avoid situations that could cast the government and regulators in a negative light.   He added that the NCAA had also worked to bridge the gap between regulators, airlines and passengers while ensuring greater awareness and compliance with aviation regulations. PRESIDENT of the Concerned Aviation Stakeholders, Bukalti Gamawa, in an appeal yesterday, said the sharp increase in Jet A1 prices poses a serious threat to the planned airlift of thousands of Nigerian pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He explained that the ongoing conflict involving the United States of America, Israel, and Iran drove up global oil prices, affecting economies and businesses worldwide. In Nigeria, the aviation industry has recorded more than a 300 per cent increase in aviation fuel prices, forcing some airlines to cut operations, and others to warn they might suspend services. Reacting, the aviation stakeholders urged immediate action to rescue the 2026 Hajj operation from “one of the toughest logistical and financial crises” in recent times, caused by the rising cost of aviation fuel. The stakeholders stated, “Many of the airlines contracted for the 2026 Hajj operations are expected to lease aircraft to meet capacity demands. With the current fuel price increase on both legs, much of their projected profit margin has already been wiped out. “In some cases, airlines may end up operating at break-even or even at a loss, effectively flying ‘for free’ after covering lease and operational expenses. If urgent action is not taken, some airlines may find it financially impossible to even commence operations from Nigeria or sustain return operations from Saudi Arabia.” The group’s president noted that although the federal and state governments no longer subsidise Hajj operations, stakeholders say urgent policy actions – such as price regulation, forex support, or special fuel arrangements – are needed to avert a crisis.

Air travellers across Nigeria are facing growing frustration as a deepening shortage of aviation fuel, commonly known as Jet A1, continues to disrupt flight operations, causing widespread delays and uncertainty across major airports, Daily Trust can report. Airlines have warned that the persistent scarcity of fuel is affecting their ability to maintain schedules, with several flights either delayed, rescheduled, or, in some cases, cancelled at short notice. The situation has become more pronounced in recent days, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded and forcing many to reconsider travel plans. Amidst this development, the ground handling companies have threatened to withdraw their services to indigenous airlines over N9bn debt. Already, operators say the price of Jet A1 has ballooned by over 300 per cent since the start of the US-Israel war in Iran and the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway route responsible for one fifth of the global fuel supply. The operators under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) had threatened to shut down operation last Monday but they were prevailed upon by the federal government to suspend the shutdown while a meeting was held with stakeholders spearheaded by the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development on Wednesday last week. A follow-up meeting with oil marketers was also held on Thursday but as of the time of filing this report there was no relief to airlines over the acute shortage of aviation fuel. The only take away from the meeting was the approval of 30 per cent discount on debt owed by airlines to service providers while the airlines are seeking a total waiver on their indebtedness to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), among others. However, the scarcity of jet fuel and the hike in price is putting intense pressure on airline operations in a sector already grappling with high operating costs. The impact is evident at airports in Lagos, Abuja, and other key domestic routes, where passengers now face extended waiting times. Many travellers report spending hours at terminals with little clarity on departure times, while others have had flights rescheduled multiple times within the same day. A social media influencer at the weekend called out one of the airlines for allegedly issuing boarding passes when it knew there was no fuel. It was gathered that some of the operators have also begun to rationalise routes and reduce flight frequencies in a bid to manage limited resources. For instance, Air Peace slashed its London-Heathrow flight to three frequencies in response to the shortage. As the shortage persists, concerns are mounting that the aviation sector could face more severe disruptions if urgent steps are not taken to stabilise fuel supply. …Ground handlers threaten service withdrawal Meanwhile, domestic and international flight operations of indigenous airlines may be disrupted from Tuesday, following a seven-day ultimatum issued by the Aviation Ground Handlers Association of Nigeria (AGHAN) over an outstanding debt exceeding N9 billion by the airlines. Daily Trust reports that ground handling companies offer safety critical services including passenger check-in, baggage handling, refuelling coordination and ramp services to airlines. The ground handling companies are Skyway Handling Company of Nigeria (SAHCO) Plc; Nigerian Aviation Handling Nigeria (NAHCO) Plc, Butake Handling Company, Precision Handling Company Limited and Swissport Handling Company. A letter which was jointly signed by AGHAN Chairman and Vice Chairman, Olaniyi Adigun and Ahmed Bashir, respectively, addressed to the President of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), is dated April 21, 2026 with the head: ‘Outstanding Indebtedness and Notice of Possible Withdrawal of Services.’ The letter that was also copied the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo; Director-General Civil Aviation (DGCA), Chris Najomo; Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Kuku; Director-General, Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Ajayi and the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, was obtained by The Guardian over the weekend. AGHAN in the letter warned that its member companies could be forced to suspend ground handling services from Tuesday, April 28, 2026 if the debts were not settled within the stipulated timeframe. The letter read in part: “This situation has continued to exert significant pressure on the operational capacity of our members, adversely affecting their ability to deliver sustainable, efficient and safe services. It has also created considerable financial strain on the management and workforce of the affected organizations. “Despite repeated engagements and efforts made in good faith by our members to secure settlement of these obligations, the responses received thus far have not yielded the desired outcomes, with payment commitments largely unmet. “In light of the foregoing, and to safeguard the continued viability of our members’ operations, we wish to respectfully notify you that our members may be constrained to withdraw services should these outstanding debts remain unresolved within seven days from the date of this letter.” The handlers also apologised to air travellers for any inconvenience the situation may cause and reiterated their commitment to a peaceful resolution on the matter. Stop Scapegoating Air Peace Meanwhile, aviation analyst, Fred Chukwuelobe yesterday warned against scapegoating Air Peace over the recent aviation fuel shortage, noting that the crisis is global. “There is a renewed and rather orchestrated onslaught against Air Peace over the current shortage of aviation fuel (Jet A-1). Let’s be clear from the outset: this is not a crisis created by one airline, nor is it peculiar to Nigeria. It is a global aviation challenge driven by supply constraints, price volatility, and persistent disruptions in the fuel value chain as a result of the Middle East crisis,” he said. According to him, it is “baffling and disappointing” the “deliberate attempt in some quarters to personalise a systemic problem.” “The issue has already been escalated to the appropriate authorities, particularly the federal government and engagements have been held, and efforts are ongoing to stabilise supply. Yet, rather than direct attention to the root causes, a chorus of social media commentators and disgruntled passengers has chosen the easier […]

Nigeria’s giant Dangote refinery is benefiting from record margins for producing jet fuel that it is mostly selling abroad, while the domestic airlines it also supplies have threatened ​to stop flying because of the surge in fuel prices. The refinery, the largest on the continent, was built to turn Africa’s biggest oil producing ‌country into a net exporter of refined products, end Nigeria’s reliance on fuel imports, and shield its economy from global energy shocks. It became fully operational at the start of this year and is producing at its maximum capacity of 650,000 barrels per day. That has improved local fuel availability but domestic fuel prices are still among the highest in Africa as Nigeria’s market is fully deregulated, meaning fuel prices are ​not subsidised by the government as they are in most African countries. The issue is further complicated by the state oil company’s long-standing debt repayment agreements that ​mean Dangote has to import most of its crude oil, making it easier to balance its books if it sells abroad. CLASH WITH ⁠THE NEEDS OF THE AVIATION INDUSTRY Industry body the Airline Operators of Nigeria said prices, taking logistics and storage costs into account, have climbed to 3,300 naira ($2.44) per litre, ​nearly triple the level in February before the start of the Iran war. Nigeria’s energy regulator said Dangote was selling jet fuel at 1,879 naira ($1.39) per litre, little changed from imported fuel ​prices of about 1,900 naira ($1.41) per litre delivered to Lagos earlier this month. The Middle Eastern conflict has led to unprecedented energy disruption and the risk of jet fuel shortages is pressing. Airlines around the world have hiked prices, added fuel surcharges and grounded planes. Nigerian airlines last week threatened to halt all flights, prompting the government on Thursday to approve measures including some relief on debts owed by local airlines ​and ordering talks to try to agree lower prices. DANGOTE’S MARGINS COULD BE EVEN BETTER? Dangote, meanwhile, as a new, highly efficient refinery, has been able to take advantage of record margins ​for producing jet fuel from crude. State oil firm, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s ‌joint‑venture crude, ⁠however, is tied to oil-backed loans and pre‑export deals. That means much of Nigeria’s roughly 1.5 million barrels per day of production goes to paying debts to international oil majors, banks and traders. The NNPC does not disclose its obligations, but analysts estimate they amount to about 400,000 bpd. Dangote Group Vice President Davekumar Edwin said Dangote imported most of its crude from the U.S., as well as some from other African producers and Brazil. He did not give precise figures. He said the bulk of the 24 million litres of jet ​fuel it produces daily was shipped to Europe, ​although he also said the refinery ⁠largely supplied the needs of Nigerian airlines, which the aviation industry estimates at about 2.1 million litres per day. EUROPEAN BUYERS ARE WILLING TO PAY UP As European buyers are willing to pay a premium ahead of the peak demand summer travel season, European imports from ​Nigeria have averaged 78,000 to 96,000 barrels per day in April so far, data from Kpler and LSEG showed, the highest ​on record. Alan Gelder, senior ⁠vice president for refining, chemicals and oil markets at Wood Mackenzie, said European refiners had earned about $15 per barrel. He estimated Dangote’s margins at more than double that as a result of access to Nigerian crude and the plant’s scale and sophistication. Edwin did not disclose figures, but the profits from producing jet fuel hit a record on international markets in March. Dangote, as ⁠a private refinery, ​prices its products in response to global markets, Gelder said, and that building a big refinery “does not ​automatically mean fuel prices fall”. Dangote plans to list shares in the coming months and is expanding the complex to 1.4 million bpd capacity, which could make it the world’s largest refinery by the end of the ​decade.

In the second week of January, a scheduled United Nigeria Airlines flight from Asaba International Airport to Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos was expected to have the least disruption. The aircraft, an Airbus A320, taxied, accelerated and lifted off as expected. But as the aircraft descended to Lagos airport, an unseen hazard occurred. Two birds were discovered sucked into the aircraft, an incident that disrupted the airline’s schedules for a few days, as the aeroplane was immediately withdrawn from service for safety checks. The incident was not just another delay but a financial blow to the airline, adding to the growing list of costly encounters with wildlife at Nigeria’s airports. However, this was not an isolated incident. Last week, within 48 hours, the same airline suffered three separate bird strikes, forcing multiple aircraft out of operation and disrupting its network. Between January, when the first bird strike incident occurred, and last week, it witnessed at least seven such disruptions. Across the aviation industry, such occurrences are not strange. Almost all the indigenous airlines – Air Peace, Ibom Air, Aero Contractors, ValueJet, Max Air and Overland – and foreign carriers have been unfortunate enough to be caught in the web of bird-strike incidents. What appears to be an occasional encounter between aircraft and birds has quietly evolved into one of the most persistent and expensive threats to airline operations in the country. However, bird strikes are not new to the global aviation industry. Globally, they have long been recognised as a safety and operational threat. But in Nigeria, the problem has taken on a dreaded economic dimension. Statistics show that approximately 95 per cent of bird strike incidents occur below 3,000 feet, precisely when aircraft are taking off or landing. Bird strikes cost airlines an estimated $1.2 billion annually, according to data from the United Kingdom Central Science Laboratory. Industry stakeholders estimate that Nigerian airlines lose at least N60 billion yearly to aircraft damage, operational disruptions and associated costs linked to bird strikes and wildlife incursions. Also, recent data from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) shows that the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) recorded the highest number of bird-strike incidents in the country, reflecting both its traffic volume and its exposure to environmental risk factors. Other airports with frequent occurrences include Port Harcourt, Owerri, Benin and Uyo, among others. According to the then Director of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards at the NCAA (now Director of Airworthiness Standards), Mr Godwin Balang, the findings emerged from qualitative and statistical analyses of bird-strike reports submitted by aerodrome operators. Balang noted that a record of four bird-strike incidents was logged in a single day on Runway 18 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in 2025. For airlines operating in an environment defined by high fuel costs, foreign exchange pressures and limited access to financing, the financial consequences of these incidents can be severe. In Nigeria, operators say the impact is exaggerated by weak financial gains and aging infrastructure at most of the airports. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Air Peace, Allen Onyema, in a recent interview with journalists in Lagos, said the airline recorded 43 bird strikes across Nigeria’s airports between January and September 2025, a development he said caused serious operational setbacks. Onyema outlined some of the major difficulties confronting Nigerian airlines, citing frequent bird strikes, heavy taxation and persistent criticism from government agencies as key challenges. He said: “Air Peace has had 43 bird strikes in Nigeria from January to September. One bird strike could cripple your aircraft for the next month. At that moment, there’s no two ways about it. “These bird strikes often lead to costly delays and serious disruptions in flight schedules. Aircraft go out of service, passengers are stranded, and the ripple effects spread across the entire operation.” Also, Safety Manager at Arik Air, Jide Bakare, said the airline lost about $3.6 million over six years due to bird-strike incidents. According to him, in 2019 alone, Arik Air spent $430,000 replacing damaged components, while two separate incidents in Enugu cost an additional $466,000. Such figures, he lamented, echo strongly with investors and lessors, expressing that modern jet engines cost millions of dollars, while minor bird ingestion could necessitate extensive inspections or premature component replacement. According to him, about 95 per cent of bird strikes occur below 3,000 feet, a stage when aircraft are most vulnerable and pilots have the least flexibility. Also, aviation stakeholder, Olumide Ohunayo, criticised the current approach adopted by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to managing the incident. According to Ohunayo, the agency’s approach is ineffective due to the absence of reliable data. Ohunayo argued that the persistence of bird strike occurrences without noticeable improvement raises concerns about whether the right strategies are being deployed to tackle the challenge. He declared that when efforts do not yield positive results over time, it either suggests that nothing significant was being done or that the approach being adopted was fundamentally flawed. He listed critical data points to capture, including the exact location of each incident, whether it occurred during aircraft approach or takeoff, the species of bird involved, the time of day, day of the week, and the season of the year. He also expressed claims in some quarters that airlines may be exaggerating the incidents. However, he maintained that such arguments could only be resolved with verifiable, comprehensive data. “There are claims and counterclaims about the frequency and severity of bird strikes, but the only way to determine what is true or false is through proper documentation and analysis. “It is important to know when these incidents happen, where they happen, and the type of birds involved. These are the basic elements needed to understand the problem.” Fiscal intervention However, in a bid to address the situation, the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, in its 2026 appropriation spending, planned to acquire additional Phoenix Airport wailers MK IV Bird Deterrent Systems for Kano, Benin, and Kaduna airports at a cost of N7,000,000. According to the ministry, the project […]

The Airlines Operators of Nigeria (AON) has described the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals as a critical pillar of support for Nigeria’s aviation industry, disclosing that the refinery currently supplies over 95 per cent of the Jet A1 fuel consumed nationwide, while also exporting 1.1 billion litres of aviation fuel to Europe between March and April 20. Speaking during a televised interview, AON spokesperson Obiora Okonkwo said the refinery’s output has played a vital role in sustaining domestic airline operations at a time of global supply disruptions arising from tensions in the Middle East and rising fuel costs. “It is a matter of fact that over 95 per cent of aviation fuel supplied across the country comes from the Dangote refinery. To airline operators in Nigeria, Dangote is not just a refinery; it is a game changer and, indeed, a lifesaver,” Okonkwo said. He noted that despite the refinery’s consistent supply, airlines continue to face severe operational strain due to escalating Jet A1 prices, which he attributed to sharp practices within the downstream distribution chain. According to Okonkwo, some fuel marketers are allegedly creating artificial scarcity in spite of available supply from the refinery, leading to disproportionate price increases. He disclosed that airline operators have recorded Jet A1 price hikes of up to 300 per cent since the onset of the Middle East crisis. “We consider this exploitation. The refinery has not indicated any shortage, yet we are witnessing artificial scarcity and unjustifiable price increases. What airlines pay does not reflect depot prices,” he said, suggesting the presence of racketeering within the market. Echoing these concerns after a closed-door meeting between the AON and the Federal Government, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, described the situation as deeply troubling, particularly given that the Dangote refinery sells its products at comparatively lower rates. “The truth is that marketers must be called to account. How do prices rise by as much as 300 per cent when Dangote’s supply remains the cheapest and some marketers source directly from the refinery?” Onyema asked. “So, why the astronomical increase?” Meanwhile, the Dangote Refinery continues to expand its footprint in the international aviation fuel market. Industry data indicate that the facility exported approximately 876,000 metric tonnes of jet fuel to Europe within the period under review—about 456,000 tonnes in March and an additional 420,000 tonnes by April 20. These export volumes underscore the refinery’s growing capacity and improved logistics, further reinforcing Nigeria’s emerging role in Source – Fresh Angle