Air Commodore(rtd) Ademola Onitiju, President, ASRTI
…wants National Energy Price Protection Program established
…seeks overhaul of the aviation charging ecosystem
Aviation pressure group, Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI) has lended its voice to the ongoing jet fuel crisis rocking the aviation sector.
Airlines are already considering cutting capacity or shutting down operations completely in the next few days if the skyrocketing prices of Jet A1 is not steamed by concerned authorities.
In a letter written to President Bola Tinubu and copied to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo; Chairmen Senate Committee on Aviation and House Committee on Aviation, the ASRTI in cautioning government on steps to take to avert full blown crisis in the sector, urged it to stabilise the system by first deploying a corrective, time‑bound Jet A1 refund mechanism.
This, the group said is not a subsidy but a temporary parity‑restoration measure.
“This is why the first principle must be clear: save the Ox before fixing the farm. The aviation sector cannot be rebuilt if its core operators—the airlines—are allowed to fail. Government should contract six months of Jet A1 supply at negotiated parity prices, covering the hardship period of February to April 2026, and extend corrective supply for an additional four months while global markets stabilise. This mechanism must be transparent, audited, and publicly reconciled to ensure that refinery‑gate prices align with depot and gantry prices.
The group in a statement signed by Air Commodore(rtd) Ademola Onitiju, President and Olumide. Fidel Ohunayo, General Secretary, is also seeking an emergency stabilisation package for airlines adding that they urgently require short‑term, low‑interest bridge loans and working‑capital guarantees to cover immediate cash‑flow shortfalls and essential operational costs.
“These funds must be tied to strict milestones: safety compliance, payroll continuity, and uninterrupted essential services. Each airline should submit concise liability‑cleanup plan detailing how funds will be used to retire or restructure verified debts to ground handlers, fuel suppliers, and agencies. All support must be conditional on independent verification and governed by a strict sunset clause to prevent the emergence of permanent subsidies.
“Parallel measures must protect ground handlers, concessionaires, and other service providers while airlines are stabilised. Options include emergency liquidity advances, short‑term rent freezes or deferrals, and promissory commitments for verified renovation and investment losses. A 30% mandated haircut on specified debts—consistent with the approach already applied to agencies—may be necessary, but it must be used sparingly, only after independent valuation, and only for verified operational receivables. Any such relief must be paired with protections for frontline workers, including wage continuity and severance guarantees, and must include safeguards against moral hazard.”, it said.
To ensure transparency and accountability, ASRTI said a neutral reconciliation vehicle should be established to process payments, advances, and concessions.
“Beyond emergency measures, structural reforms are indispensable. A comprehensive overhaul of the aviation charging ecosystem is overdue. A top global advisory firm should be engaged to audit airport charges, passenger levies, navigation fees, parking and ground‑handling tariffs, and other provider charges. This review must benchmark Nigeria against international standards, eliminate duplications, and produce a phased roadmap to reduce the share of taxes and charges embedded in fares. These reforms should be accompanied by revenue‑transition plans for affected operators to ensure sustainability.
“To prevent future crises, a National Energy Price Protection Program (NEPPP) should be established. This rules‑based framework should include a volatility buffer fund, mandatory price transparency across the supply chain, and a logistics‑cost rationalisation audit.
Looking beyond stabilisation, the group noted that Nigeria must embrace a medium‑term growth strategy—“Fly Nigeria, Fly”—to expand access, stimulate demand, and unlock the aviation sector’s economic multiplier.
This programme, it said should combine tax and charge rationalisation, route‑development incentives, PPP‑driven regional airport upgrades, and investment in cargo and cold‑chain logistics.
“It should set measurable targets for passenger growth, connectivity expansion, and export development. It should also catalyse private investment in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities, pilot and technical training, and domestic leasing to support sustainable fleet renewal. An independent ombudsman should oversee the entire process to ensure fairness, credibility, and public trust.”
ASRTI cautioned that if urgent action is not taken, the worse may happen.
“The cost of inaction is far greater than the cost of decisive, targeted intervention. The aviation sector is not merely a mode of transport; it is a national economic artery. To allow it to fail would be to impose a far greater burden on the Nigerian people and economy. The path forward is clear: stabilise the airlines, protect the ecosystem, restore fair pricing, enforce accountability, and build a stronger, more competitive aviation sector for the future. Save the goose now; rebuild the farm later.”, it added.
