•Say prices to drop in coming weeks
Fuel marketers have pushed back against claims that airlines are being charged N3,300 per litre for Aviation Turbine Kerosene (Jet A1), describing the figure as more than N1,000 above their average price, while also assuring domestic operators that the cost of fuel is expected to fall in the coming weeks.
Domestic carriers on the platform of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), had on April 14, threatened to shut down operations on Monday, April 20 over a 300 percent increase in aviation fuel, accusing marketers of exploitation. The planned withdrawal of services was contained in a letter dated April 14, 2026 from the AON President, Abdulmunaf Sarina in which he revealed that the price of aviation fuel has increased from N900 per litre on February 28 to N3,300 per litre in less than two months and that while crude oil prices have increased by about 30 percent internationally, saying that the spike in jet A1 costs by fuel marketers in Nigeria has been disproportionate and indicative of market exploitation rather than genuine supply dynamics.
But the Executive Secretary of the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN), Clement Isong, in a response to a letter from the AON, acknowledged the financial strain facing the airlines sector but denied the price cited by the airline operators.
MEMAN stated that members are barred from discussing pricing under competition law but advised any airline currently paying N3,300 per litre for Jet A1 to seek alternative suppliers, stating that cheaper options are available in the market. The association attributed the current increase in Jet A1 prices to the tensions in the Middle East, which it said have disrupted global supply chains and caused an increase in cost of petroleum products, adding that the cost of domestic transport have risen by an average of 50%.
The association also defended the cost of distributing aviation fuel compared to other petroleum products, citing the stringent safety and quality requirements it needs to observe at every stage of the supply chain which makes Jet A1 logistics more expensive.
The association said: “ We must express our surprise at the price of N3,300 per litre stated in your letter as the price being charged to some airline operators. MEMAN members do not discuss pricing as this will be against competition law, however, the price of N3,300 is over N1,000 higher than our average market survey price of Jet Al carried out for this exercise, after receipt of your letter. We would therefore strongly encourage any operators currently being charged at those levels to exercise their commercial right to seek alternative suppliers.
“Our market survey confirms that more competitively priced options are available, and MEMAN members remain committed to providing ATK at fair, market-reflective prices. We have also received indications of falling costs, which should begin to reflect in market prices in the coming weeks.”
Sun
