Nigeria’s aviation sector is facing heightened safety and operational concerns as persistent jet fuel supply shortages compound the impact of soaring oil prices, industry groups and experts warn.
The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) has flagged the ongoing jet fuel scarcity as a trigger for widespread operational challenges, including flight delays, route adjustments, and extended crew duty periods. According to the association, these disruptions are placing additional pressure on pilots and engineers, raising serious safety questions.
Nigerian airlines are struggling to manage schedules amid rising costs, with the twin blows of high fuel prices and supply shortages disrupting flight schedules and crew rotations. The disruptions come at a particularly difficult time for the country’s aviation sector, already strained by foreign exchange volatility, high aircraft maintenance costs, pressure on airport infrastructure, and fuel price swings.
Last month, Nigerian airlines threatened to suspend operations over what they described as crippling and artificially inflated jet fuel prices.
Industry experts say inefficiencies in Nigeria’s fuel supply chain are enabling unregulated middlemen to distort pricing. Lawmakers have warned that the sector is at a breaking point and are calling for federal government intervention, despite a recent relief intervention by the Nigerian government.
Industry groups and experts have raised concerns about safety in the sector, pointing to pressures on crew members to work longer periods due to flight delays, route adjustments, rescheduling, and cancellations.