By: Reuters

Nigeria’s aviation sector faces heightened safety and operational concerns due to jet fuel supply shortages amid already soaring oil prices.

The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) said the scarcity of jet fuel has triggered challenges such as flight delays and route adjustments.

NAAPE President Captain Bunmi Gindeh said ongoing fuel shortages were also pushing crews beyond planned limits, as airlines struggle to manage schedules amid rising costs.

This has increased fatigue among workers, which could potentially violate the industry’s strict rest regulations.

Local carrier Rano Air said this week that steep jet fuel prices had made some routes commercially unsustainable.

Industry sources said other carriers have also begun rescheduling or cancelling flights and cutting unprofitable routes.

This comes at a difficult time for Nigeria’s aviation sector, already strained by factors such as foreign-exchange volatility, high aircraft maintenance costs, airport infrastructure constraints, and fuel price swings.

Airlines last month also threatened to suspend operations over what they described as crippling and artificially inflated jet fuel prices.

Nigeria’s downstream petroleum regulator said fuel prices would not be capped, adding that any decisions on deregulated products would be formally communicated.

The country’s airline industry carries millions of passengers annually and plays a critical role in connecting cities where road travel is often slow or insecure.