Air Peace said a shortage of Jet A1 aviation fuel at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and a subsequent restriction at Maiduguri airport forced the cancellation of its Abuja-Maiduguri service on Saturday. The airline issued a statement after videos and complaints by stranded passengers circulated on social media. Channels Television, Nairametrics and Premium Times carried the airline’s explanation.
Air Peace said the initial delays to its Abuja operations were caused by the unavailability of Jet A1 fuel, a situation that affected other carriers operating from the airport. The airline said affected flights resumed once fuel became available.
However, the carrier added that its Abuja-Maiduguri flight could not operate as planned because the Maiduguri control tower withdrew an earlier extension that would have allowed the aircraft to arrive after sunset. The airline said prevailing Visual Flight Rules (VFR) at the destination meant the extension was no longer tenable and the flight could not operate beyond sunset.
Air Peace said passengers were kept informed during the disruption and provided with refreshments. Following the cancellation, the airline said affected travellers were offered hotel accommodation and that arrangements were made for the service to operate the next day. In its statement the airline apologised and said “we sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to our esteemed passengers,” adding that the safety and wellbeing of passengers remained its priority. Channels Television, Nairametrics, Premium Times
Wider context
Industry observers and media reports say the latest disruption adds to a series of operational difficulties linked to Jet A1 availability and costs.
Nairametrics reported that Air Peace cut the frequency of its Abuja to London service in April 2026 because of Jet A1 supply constraints, and that other carriers have adjusted services in response to shifts in fuel price and availability. It also reported that Dangote Petroleum Refinery has been supplying jet fuel to European markets while reserving remaining output for the Nigerian market. Nairametrics
Premium Times placed the disruption against statistics on domestic flight performance compiled for August by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). The report said the NCAA recorded 7,961 domestic flights that month, of which 4,765 were delayed and 36 cancelled; it added that Air Peace disputed the regulator’s figures. Premium Times also said the NCAA recently directed Air Peace to prepare a compensation package for passengers affected by a delayed Lagos-Enugu service. Premium Times
No independent confirmation of the fuel shortage or the control-tower decision was provided in the airline’s statement beyond the airline’s account, and the NCAA had not issued a public statement on Saturday’s incident in the reports cited.
Featured image: Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
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