Nigeria will be suspending all flights starting Monday until further notice over soaring jet fuel prices, an umbrella organization of operators said on Saturday.
Nigeria's decision makes it the first nation to halt flights because of the fuel prices.
The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) said the price of jet fuel had leapfrogged from 190 to 700 Nigerian naira per litre (from $0.45 to almost $1.70). In their statement, the AON said that they "will discontinue operations nationwide" further notice. They backed their decision by stating that "No airline in the world can absorb this kind of sudden shock from such an astronomical rise over a short period,", and they clarified how the cost for flights now is unaffordable for Nigerians.
Responding to the AON's decision, the Nigerian aviation ministry urged airlines to "consider the multiplier effect of shutting down operations, on Nigerians and global travellers".
The main reason behind the increase of the fuel's cost is Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February which resulted in a wide range of sanctions by the West on Moscow that is considered one of the major exporters of oil and gas.
It's worth noting that although the African nation produces 1.4 million barrels of crude a day, it refines a little and it depends mainly on fuel imports.
