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Nigeria’s aviation sector is facing a severe operational crisis as soaring jet fuel prices and widespread supply shortages disrupt flight schedules and crew rotations.
The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) warned that persistent scarcity is forcing airlines to adjust routes and extend crew duty periods.
Captain Bunmi Gindeh, president of NAAPE, cautioned that these pressures are pushing flight crews toward exhaustion, potentially compromising safety margins and violating mandatory rest regulations.
The financial burden on local carriers has become unsustainable, with Rano Air reporting that fuel costs have more than quadrupled.
This spike has led several airlines to cancel flights or abandon routes that are no longer commercially viable.
The crisis adds to a growing list of challenges for the industry, which is already grappling with extreme foreign-exchange volatility, ageing infrastructure, and the high cost of maintaining aircraft fleets.
Despite the strain on a sector that millions of Nigerians rely on for safe travel, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority stated that fuel prices will remain uncapped under current deregulation policies.
While the Dangote refinery has increased local supply capacity, operators argue that costs remain prohibitively high.
Analysts now warn that if these disruptions continue, the combined impact on maintenance planning and crew fatigue could pose significant long-term risks to aviation safety.
