Ibom Air has raised concern over the rising cost of aviation fuel in Nigeria, warning that the situation has become unsustainable for domestic airlines.
The airline said the cost of fuelling its aircraft had more than tripled between January and April 27, 2026, placing heavy pressure on its operations.
In a statement issued by its Group Manager, Marketing and Communication, Aniekan Essienette, Ibom Air said the average cost of fuelling each flight rose from about ₦2.1 million in January to approximately ₦7.6 million as of April 27.
According to the airline, the increase represents more than 350 per cent since the beginning of March, within a period of about seven weeks.
Ibom Air said the situation was particularly concerning because its aircraft were among the most fuel-efficient in the Nigerian domestic aviation market.
The airline said domestic carriers were “baffled” by the scale of the increase, noting that aviation fuel prices in Nigeria had risen far above levels recorded in other parts of the world.
It also questioned why the price had continued to rise sharply when, according to the statement, fuel marketers obtain 95 per cent or more of their aviation fuel from Dangote Refinery.
Ibom Air said the crisis had been worsened by competitive pressure and what it described as patriotism, which had prevented airlines from increasing fares in line with the rise in operating costs.
The airline said this had forced it and other domestic carriers to absorb major operating losses.
“We chose to do this believing that the crisis would pass in a week or two, but it has persisted now for nearly two months, continuously increasing, with no reprieve in sight as at today,” the statement said.
Ibom Air said it was still working to maintain normal operations, but warned that current conditions could not continue without adjustments.
The airline said carriers in other parts of the world were already reducing flights to manage fuel cost pressures, even though their fuel price increases were not as severe as Nigeria’s.
It said it may be forced to take similar steps, including reducing capacity, if the situation does not improve.
“We, too, will have to take whatever ameliorating actions we can in the days ahead, including reducing our capacity if necessary, to be able to continue to provide services to our customers and our country,” the airline said.
Ibom Air warned that if the crisis persists, airlines may no longer be able to continue operating only to pay for fuel, without covering other essential costs.
The airline called on aviation fuel marketers to reconsider their pricing structure to allow the domestic airline business model to remain viable in Nigeria.
The statement was signed by Aniekan Essienette, FNIMN, FNIM, Group Manager, Marketing and Communication, Ibom Airlines Limited.
