Nigeria’s aviation sector is still grappling with the worst shortage of JetA1 oil, popularly known as aviation fuel. Checks by The Trumpet at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) showed that most local airlines are unable to operate their scheduled flights due to lack of the product.
Consequently Dana Air, Aero Contractors and Arik Airline are finding it difficult to keep to their flight schedules after selling tickets to their passengers.
Similarly a Lagos-Abuja return ticket, which cost about N60,000 earlier in year now goes for between N120,000 and N140, 000 for those who book their flights online, while passengers who buy their flight tickets across the counter pay more, in addition possession of tickets that do not guarantee one chance of flying as sources say there has been high rate of flight cancellations in the last two weeks.
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Passengers at the departure halls of the local and international wings were sighted lamenting their plights to fly to their destinations.
In a related development, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has alerted members of the public, especially consumers of air transport services in the country, that the c aviation sector has been badly hit by acute scarcity of aviation fuel.
Spokesman of AON, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo stated this in a statement made available to newsmen at the weekend, saying the acute shortage of Jet A1 would lead to major disruptions in scheduled flight operations, which might include cancellation and unnecessary delays in all airports across the country.
“The aviation sector has been hit by a major crisis with the acute scarcity of aviation fuel. For this reason, there will be disruption in scheduled flight operations including cancellation and unnecessary delays across all airports in the country. This is a foreseen but unintended consequence of the aviation fuel scarcity in the country,” the statement reads.
The AON, however, pleaded for the understanding of members of the traveling public to bear with the association as efforts were currently being made to address the development and restore normal flight operations.
“We, therefore, pleaded for understanding of air travelers to bear with us, as efforts are currently being made to address the development and restore normal flight operations,” it added.
