Nigeria, April 17 -- Nigeria's domestic airlines on Thursday say aviation fuel has become the single most burdensome cost in their operations, now accounting for as much as 40 per cent of total expense, well above global averages and a level operators warn is increasingly unsustainable.

The Spokesperson of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) and Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Obiora Okonkwo, disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television's Politics Today, where he gave a breakdown of how rising Jet A1 prices are reshaping airline economics in the country.

He said while fuel typically represents about 30 per cent of operating costs globally, Nigerian carriers are now spending significantly more due to recent spikes in...