“Flights May Be Disrupted Due To Scarcity Of Aviation Fuel” – Nigerian Airlines Tell Customers

Nigerian airlines have announced that their flight operations may be disrupted due to the prolonged scarcity of aviation fuel in the country.

Air Peace To Delay Flights

It was gathered that due to the short supply of aviation fuel, also known as Jet A1, the price of the commodity has skyrocketed to over N600 per liter on Tuesday.

In a statement on Wednesday, Air Peace said it is likely going to experience flight disruptions because the fuel scarcity is affecting its operations.

The statement reads, “Air Peace and other Nigerian airlines have, for a while now, been facing the challenge of jet fuel scarcity. We have pushed so far to minimise the effect of the situation on our esteemed passengers’ travel plans till date.

“But unfortunately, the fuel scarcity is starting to seriously impact our operations as we are likely going to experience flight disruptions today and in the coming days until the situation abates.”

Air Peache appealed for the utmost understanding of air passengers, adding that it “regrets possible inconveniences”. The carrier said that it is working tirelessly to minimise the impact on travellers.

Ibom Air Issues Statement

Another domestic carrier, Ibom Air, said it has no idea of when the present scarcity challenge would be resolved, but added that it is working with fellow airlines and fuel suppliers to find a solution.

“We have encountered a situation today where aviation fuel is scarce & therefore unavailable at almost all our flight destinations,” a statement issued by the airline reads.

“This has significantly impacted our flight schedule today and may do the same tomorrow. We sincerely apologise to all our passengers affected by the current situation.”

Recently, Nigerian airlines increased the cost of economy flight tickets for domestic routes from about N35,000 to a base fare of N50,000.

Reacting to the development, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) issued an interim order directing airlines to suspend the airfare hike.

KanyiDaily recalls that the Federal Government had sympathized with Nigerians over the fuel scarcity in the country, saying it is finding “lasting solutions to the crisis”.