By Dickson Omobola The first half of 2026 was a mixed bag for the country’s air transport sector, with airlines grappling with rising operating costs while government agencies, especially the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, and Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, came under fresh scrutiny. Read Also: Fake agency originated from Buhari government — Budget Office explains PFIPC allocation While airlines struggled with the sharp increase in the cost of aviation fuel, better known as Jet-A1, and numerous bird strikes, FAAN failed to seamlessly implement its cashless payment policy, which commenced at the Lagos and Abuja airports. In February, fire also gutted the old terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos, destroying several items, including critical air-to-ground communication equipment.
The inferno brought FAAN under scrutiny, with insurance experts claiming that the MMIA and many other FAAN-managed airports across the country lacked insurance cover. The first half of the year also tested the NCAA’s regulatory oversight. One incident that drew public attention to the agency was the landing of a private aircraft on a road in the Ogwashi-Uku area of Asaba, the Delta State capital.
Airlines For domestic carriers, the period was particularly challenging. They battled a surge in the price of aviation fuel and numerous bird strikes that disrupted operations and increased maintenance costs. Akwa-Ibom state-owned airline, Ibom Air, said the cost of fueling its aircraft tripled between January and April from an average of N2.1m per flight in January to N7.6m in April.
Following a reported 300 per cent spike in the price of Jet-A1 in April, the Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, threatened to shut down operations from Monday, April 20, 2026. During the period, Air Peace reduced its Abuja-London flight frequency, Rano Air also announced the temporary suspension of some of its flight operations. At the time, AON, in a letter signed by its President, Abdulmunaf Sarina, stated that the price of Jet-A1 sold by marketers had increased from N900 per litre as of February 28, 2026, to N3,300 per litre, forcing some airlines to cut routes, while others temporarily suspended operations.
However, the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria, MEMAN, dismissed the claim. MEMAN Executive Secretary, Clement Isong, said the associati…
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