Aviation News

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening economic relations with the United Kingdom, with a focus on the aviation sector and other areas of mutual benefit. In a statement released on Wednesday, signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President gave the assurance while receiving a delegation from British Airways led by the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery, and the airline’s Commercial Officer, Mr Colm Lacy, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Highlighting the long-standing relationship between both countries, Tinubu said, “It is a very great joy to share with you this afternoon. The transformation and strengthening of our relationship over the past 90 years is a milestone worthy of celebration.” The President also recalled his recent visit to the United Kingdom, adding, “I still relish the memory of my last visit to Great Britain and the wonderful reception I received from His Majesty King Charles III. I will forever cherish that memory.” He emphasised Nigeria’s commitment to sustaining bilateral cooperation, saying, “We also hold in high regard our relationship with His Majesty the King… I assure you we will continue to do that, and this engagement confirmed the bilateral relations that we’ve enjoyed over the years. Our forebears wanted us to continue.” Tinubu noted that ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s aviation and economic sectors are aimed at meeting global standards and boosting international partnerships. He said, “Nigeria is still going through the reforms and transformation of our aviation industry and every aspect of our economy. We must meet global standards and encourage people-to-people connections while promoting the essence of trade and partnership in this sector.” The President also acknowledged the role of British Airways in strengthening economic and social links between both countries, stating, “We celebrate with you your remarkable 90 years of operation in Nigeria, and we hope we will continue to enhance and encourage that relationship for a stronger and more rewarding partnership.” He further disclosed that his administration had taken steps to resolve longstanding financial issues affecting airlines, noting, “You’ve seen that since I assumed office, the outstanding liabilities and other hiccups that are hindrances to our relationship are being resolved by the Central Bank of Nigeria, and we hope to strengthen all of that.” In his remarks, Lacy described Nigeria as a key market for the airline, saying, “Our relationship began in 1936 and has journeyed across generations. Nigeria is not simply a destination but a long-standing, most valued market.” He added, “Every day our services support Nigerian entrepreneurs, students, families and tourists… helping in trade, investment and opportunities in both directions.” Lacy also commended Nigerian aviation authorities and the Central Bank of Nigeria for improving the operating environment for foreign airlines. Earlier, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said British Airways now operates new aircraft on the London–Nigeria route and has complied with government policies supporting local catering on outbound international flights. Also speaking, Montgomery expressed satisfaction with the longstanding relationship, noting that recent engagements between both countries had led to major agreements.

The Federal Government has announced plans to waive debts owed by domestic airlines to aviation agencies as part of measures to cushion the impact of the ongoing Jet A1 fuel crisis. Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, made the disclosure during a high-level meeting in Abuja on Wednesday evening, convened to address the astronomical rise in the cost of Jet A1 fuel. Keyamo said, “I had the privilege of meeting Mr President to brief him about the meeting, and Mr President mandated us to quickly bring a request to him. And the first request that he will consider and grant is a generous discount on the debts the airlines are owing the aviation agencies, NAMA, FAAN, NCAA, and so on and so forth. “The percentage of discounts and all that Mr President will decide, he is so concerned about what is happening. And he asked me in particular to express his deep appreciation to the airline operators. He knows the conditions under which we operate. “And of course, he’ll consider a date for the airline operators to meet him one-on-one for the other more robust discussions regarding access to capital and all of that,” he said. Also speaking at the meeting, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, attributed the crisis in the aviation sector to the sharp increase in the price of Jet A1 fuel. Onyema said, “Why are we here in the first place? It was because of the astronomical rise of Jet A1 fuel in Nigeria, which we consider not to be proportionate to the rise in the cost of crude oil all over the world. The standard is that if crude oil rises by 10 per cent, the byproduct of crude oil should rise by a proportionate raise in the pricing. “But in Nigeria, after the Hormuz blockade, 20 percent, Nigeria increased by about 300 per cent, and these airlines are bleeding. We are bleeding. Yes, we threatened to shut down, not because we wanted to shut down, but because we had no money anymore to continue to borrow money from the banks to pay for fuel and neglect other things that are supposed to be done in the aviation industry. He said, “And you know very well that your regime pushes utmost safety, and we don’t want to shorten safety. So we decided that instead of not having money to do other things like maintenance, but only buy the fuel that we needed to shut down. We appreciate this government. “So when the honourable minister came to us to say, please, don’t do this, it didn’t take us a second to obey that plea, because this government has really helped the airlines and the aviation industry more than any since 1960. So we appreciate Mr. President, and now you all heard it, that Mr. President is even willing to waive the debts these airlines owe, maybe aviation agencies indirectly owe to the government. This is a welcome development.” He added that, “The truth is that the marketers must be brought to book to explain how they got about the 300 per cent increase, when even Dangote is even surprised, because what he is selling to us, he still remains the cheapest. And some of them lifted from there. So why the astronomical rise? “But the most important thing is that we appreciate Mr. President for coming to our rescue, but we want to say that instead of the president deciding which discount to give us, we are asking for a total waiver of all the debts we owe, and at the same time, a suspension of further payment until Hormuz is open. So these are the issues. But this government has really tried for airlines. “We are happy that we have a businessman president who is very, very responsive and very listening. The other time, he removed the 4 per cent FOB for airlines within 24 hours,” he said. He also noted that, “The only other thing we want to ask Mr. President to do for the industry is the cost of acquisition of funding for airlines. All over the world, they acquire at 3 per cent. “In Nigeria, we acquire at 30 to 35 per cent. This is killing. That’s why airlines owe FAAN, owe NCAA, owe everybody, because we are the sacrificial lambs. It’s not a lucrative business. So we ask Mr. President to please fund the Bank of Industry. “That is the only bank that is still doing single-digit or at least 10 per cent interest to airlines. But they don’t have funds now. Mr. President should please help us to fund the Bank of Industry very well, because that is another way of helping us in the long run and permanently,” he added. Airline Operators of Nigeria had earlier threatened to shut down operations nationwide from April 20, 2026, over the soaring cost of Jet A1 fuel. The operators said the price of aviation fuel surged from about N900 per litre in late February to over N3,300 per litre within weeks, representing an increase of more than 300 per cent, which they described as unbearable and unsustainable for continued operations. The airlines warned that if urgent intervention was not made, they would be forced to suspend flights, noting that revenues could no longer cover fuel costs alone. However, in a subsequent development, the operators announced a temporary suspension of the planned shutdown following appeals by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, pending the outcome of their discussion to address the crisis.

Nigeria has recorded a major milestone in its aviation sector, emerging with a 91.4 per cent safety score in the latest audit conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. Speaking during a high-level meeting in Abuja on Wednesday evening, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said, “The International Civil Aviation Organization today concluded its audit of the Nigerian aviation industry. “The last time this audit took place was 2023. So this is an audit that takes place every three years. In 2023, Nigeria scored 70%, which is considered very, very low in terms of safety. “And that, of course, affects the rating of our airlines internationally too. Now, after three years of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and this team in place — the DG NCAA, the MD FAAN, the MD NAMA, and the team — today, the audit was concluded by the International Civil Aviation Organization. And for the first time in the history of Nigeria, since 1960, we have recorded the highest score in terms of safety of the aviation industry in Nigeria.” “The heads of the agencies have been hands-on on this issue. For more than two years, we had a central committee under my leadership. “The ministry had to set up a committee on this audit alone because we were not happy with the last scores that we recorded. So this is out already. This is just to announce and to congratulate ourselves and everybody, even the airlines that were audited. They all contributed to this,” he said. In 2023, Nigeria’s aviation sector underwent an International Civil Aviation Organization audit and scored 70 per cent in safety rating. The result was described at the time as below expectations and raised concerns within the industry about compliance levels and safety oversight mechanisms. The 2023 outcome formed the baseline for subsequent reforms within the aviation sector, as regulatory agencies intensified efforts to improve safety standards, strengthen oversight, and address identified gaps ahead of the next audit cycle. Source – Punch So This Happened (EP 389) reviews: FG budgets ₦1.37bn for terrorism trials 0:00 / 1:01 He added, “We have recorded 91.4%. This is because of the deliberate policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the kind of support he has given the aviation industry, and the type of initiatives that he has told us to initiate in the aviation industry. And the International Civil Aviation Organization is very happy with us. And this is a big thank you to the heads of the agencies.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has agreed in principle ​to write off part of domestic ‌airlines’ debts to aviation agencies following successful talks, after carriers threatened to halt operations over crippling ​fuel prices, Aviation Minister Festus ​Keyamo said on Wednesday. Tinubu asked for ⁠a formal request to be submitted ​immediately, with the percentage of the write‑off ​to be determined by him, Keyamo said. The government will also set up a committee to ​review taxes, levies and fees charged ​on domestic air tickets, to recommend cuts to ease ‌pressure ⁠on airlines and passengers. Fuel marketers will sit with officials on Thursday to try and quickly resolve the disputes over ​fuel pricing, ​oil ⁠ministry secretary Patience Oyekunle said after today’s round of talks. NOTE: ​Soaring jet fuel prices have upended ​the ⁠global aviation industry as a consequence of the Iran war, forcing airlines to ⁠raise ​fares, curb growth plans ​and rethink forecasts. Source – Reuters