Flight disruptions rage amidst global jet fuel shortage

As the global aviation industry grapples with jet fuel shortage amidst skyrocketing prices, there is no relief yet for Nigerian airlines, Daily Trust can report. This is despite the recent intervention by the federal government, which pegged jet fuel price at between N1,760 and N2037 per litre for Lagos and Abuja, respectively. As the Iran […]

As the global aviation industry grapples with jet fuel shortage amidst skyrocketing prices, there is no relief yet for Nigerian airlines, Daily Trust can report.

This is despite the recent intervention by the federal government, which pegged jet fuel price at between N1,760 and N2037 per litre for Lagos and Abuja, respectively.

As the Iran war is yet to be over with the continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime waterway controlling one fifth of the global fuel supply, the global aviation industry continues to reel from the effect of the hike in Jet A1 prices.

In a development that underscores the far-reaching economic consequences of the conflict in the Middle East, Spirit Airlines, a US-based budget carrier, announced Sunday that it will cease operations indefinitely after 33 years, becoming the first major U.S. corporate casualty directly linked to the crisis.

For Nigerian airlines, this is not the best of times despite the federal government’s intervention.

Under the auspices of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), the body representing domestic airlines in Nigeria, local airlines expressed concern over a 300 per cent spike in fuel price since the start of the Iran war.

Some operators who spoke with our correspondent on Sunday said the situation has not improved, saying the fuel prices are still on the high side.

An operator who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity said, “I can confirm to you that we have not seen much improvement. The jet fuel shortage is still there and most airlines have had to adjust their flights.”

Our correspondent learnt that in the last few days, many passengers were still stranded across airports due to flight delays and cancellations.

A passenger who was to travel from Abuja to Ilorin on Sunday told our correspondent that the flight scheduled for 11: 00 am was cancelled after almost 6 p.m.

“The airline complained that there was a shortage of fuel,” the passenger said.

Aviation stakeholders under the aegis of Aviation Safety and Roundtable Initiative (ART) called for government intervention in a letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, regarding the skyrocketing cost of Jet A1 fuel.

The group, in a letter signed by its president, Air Commodore(rtd) Ademola Onitiju and Secretary-General, Olumide Ohunayo, warned that Nigeria’s aviation sector stands at a critical inflexion point occasioned by the Jet A1 crisis, the liquidity strain on airlines, and the cascading financial pressures across airports, concessionaires, and ground handlers, which they said have converged into a systemic emergency.

The evidence, according to the duo, is unambiguous: domestic Jet A1 prices have sharply diverged from international refinery‑gate benchmarks between January and April 2026, creating a distortion that threatens the survival of our airlines and, by extension, the entire aviation ecosystem.

They said, “The sector faces a dangerous chain reaction triggered by debt concessions. Once the Federal Government opened the door to concessions for agencies, every stakeholder followed suit: airports warned of income losses, concessionaires sought relief, and ground handlers now threatened service suspension over N9bn owed.

“These pressures are real, but they must be sequenced correctly. If airlines collapse, the entire system collapses with them. Without airlines, there will be no agency receivables, no ground‑handling revenue, no concession income, and no jobs for thousands of Nigerians who depend on this sector for their livelihoods.”

 

How US carrier ceased operations after 33 years

Meanwhile, a US-based budget carrier, Spirit Airlines, known for its low-cost pricing model and extensive domestic route network, confirmed in a statement that mounting fuel costs, disrupted financial markets, and tightening credit conditions had made continued operations unsustainable.

This is coming after 33 years of operations.

The shutdown marks a dramatic turning point in the economic fallout from the Middle East conflict, which has sent global oil prices surging and triggered widespread volatility across transportation and logistics sectors.

All over the world, the aviation industry has been severely impacted by the spike in jet fuel price, causing massive flight disruptions and cancellations.

Jet fuel costs have risen more than 40% in recent weeks, according to market data, as insurers increased premiums on tankers transiting through high-risk zones and suppliers passed those costs down the chain.

The Jet fuel price has remained highly elevated since the start of the Iran war, while airlines globally continue to lament the rising prices.

Across Europe and other continents, airlines continue to devise measures to hedge against a fuel price surge. These measures include outright flight cancellations or a hike in ticket prices.