Airlines delay, cancel flights as aviation fuel scarcity bites harder

Airline operators say, flight operations may be grounded in the coming days due to the scarcity of aviation fuel across network of airports.

The operators who lamented that, their operations have been impacted negatively, called on the appropriate authorities to expedite action in addressing the current situation.

This situation has led to many disruptions to flight operations across the nations airports this week due to scarcity of aviation fuel popularly called Jet A1.

This has led to many flight delays and cancelations.

Efforts by airlines to get the product have been futile, even when there is supply, the price has quadrupled.

Currently, a liter of aviation fuel now goes for N579 in Lagos, Abuja N599 and in Kano N607 and the numbers keep increasing depending on the airports.

One of the operators, Captain Abdullahi Mahmound says, they forsee the price go higher to a thousand naira if action is not taken quickly by government.

“All the airlines ars going through sleepless nights, there are delays, cancelations because sometimes if you have 20-30 passengers that are traveling right now you would rather delay the flight, merge with the next one so that, they go, you have not even paid for the fuel, those are the serious crisis we are going through”.

The development has resulted in airlines operating 2 to 3 flights a day instead of their full schedule depending on the availability of fuel to fly.

Vice President, Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, Mr. Allen Onyema earlier in an interview says, airlines have lost a lot of money.

“Jet A1 fuel has risen from N200 to a little to N430 to a little, it is only a very stupid businessman that would not know that there is fire on the mountain”.

Another domestic operator, Chief Obiora Okonkwo emphasized that, while the airlines suffer, government agencies who depend on 5% from fuel will also loss revenue.

“Aviation is a chain, the cashier in that whole chain are the operators, if the operators don’t fly, the fuel marketers will not sell, NCAA do not receive their percentage, ground handling people are not paid”.

Apart from domestic operators, international airlines will also experience the pains of the aviation fuel scarcity if not addressed.