Airfares have remained stagnant in Nigeria despite the rising cost of Jet A1 (aviation fuel) by 184 per cent in the last two months.

The rise in cost of fuel was occasioned by the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.

However, a source close to one of the major indigenous airlines, who did not want his name in print, told The Guardian yesterday that the “pressure of competition” among local carriers kept the airfares low.

Aviation fuel, which was sold at N900 per litre in January, increased to N1,121 per litre as of February 26, 2026, and now sells for N2,557 per litre.

Aviation fuel is the largest expense for airlines, accounting for about 40 per cent of their costs. This is closely followed by aircraft maintenance.

Between January and March 30, the product has increased by 184 per cent; yet, airfares still sell for between N106,286 to N147,000 across major routes in the domestic market.

A search on Ibom Air’s booking portal, for instance, shows that the Lagos-Abuja flight for April 4 costs N114,600, while the Uyo-Abuja flight on the same airline and date also sells for N114,500.

On United Nigeria Airlines‘ portal, the Kano-Lagos flight from April 1 to April 7 sells for N142,500 for a one-way ticket, while the Lagos-Port Harcourt flight for the same date costs the same N142,500.

Besides, the Lagos-Abuja flight on April 4 with Aero Contractors costs N106,286, while the Asaba-Abuja flight on the same airline costs N102,179.

However, Air Peace is the most expensive on the local scene with Lagos to Abuja air tickets for April 3 booking selling for N147,000, while the return ticket: Abuja – Lagos also goes for the same rate.

The airline source said that instead of the fares going up, the operators had kept them at the same price they were two months ago, yet struggling to remain in business.

The source also attributed the number of scheduled indigenous operators to the situation, despite low passenger traffic.

As of today, there are about 15 scheduled operators, while another two airlines in February and March – Enugu Air and Binani Airlines, respectively, secured Air Operators’ Certificates (AOC) from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which would enable them to operate.

Nigeria’s passenger traffic has been in steady decline in recent years.

The industry recorded 15.6 million passenger movements in domestic and international routes in 2024; 15.8 million in 2023 and 16.2 million in 2022.

The source said: “It’s the pressure of competition. Instead of going up, the pressure on pricing is downwards because of the number of players and the pricing they have entered the market with. It’s simply competitive pressure that keeps airfares stagnant.”
The airline source, however, said its airline was reviewing the current situation and would take a position in the coming weeks.

Data obtained from major fuel marketers in Nigeria, indicated that aviation fuel currently goes for N2,557 per litre in Sokoto airport, making it the airport with the most expensive sales of the product in Nigeria.

Also, this is followed by Kano, which sells the product at N2,554 per litre, while both Port Harcourt and Asaba report N2,543 per litre.

Besides, the product goes for N2,538 per litre at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja; Enugu airport, N2,535 per litre and Warri airport, N2,530 per litre.

For Anambra airport, the product goes for N2,529 per litre; Asaba airport, N2,528 per litre and Lagos records the cheapest rate of aviation fuel at N2,500 per litre.