Airlines Cancel Flight Over Aviation Fuel Scarcity

Scores Stranded

 

HUNDREDS of air travellers were at the weekend,  stranded at various airports across the nation, owing to scarcity of aviation fuel, otherwise known as JET A1.           

The scarcity became noticeable Friday last week and has continued unabated. .

The situation made it impossible for airlines to get the commodity on time and when they eventually did, it was very expensive. .

Yesterday, at the two domestic airport terminals, passengers had a hectic time getting flights out of Lagos and into Lagos. .

Many flights were cancelled, leading to airlines doing combined flights to cushion cost of operations.          

The Murtala Muhammed Airport 2(MMA2) was rowdy, as travellers sought to know which airline was going to their destinations. .

A couple could not travel to Kaduna as their Arik flight was cancelled. They were left with no choice but fly to Abuja and complete the journey by road.

Speaking to The Guardian yesterday, the Assistant Secretary General of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Muhammed Tukur, linked problem to shortage of JET A1 and high cost of the commodity.

Tukur noted that the problem manifested last week Friday, leading to rescheduling of flights and in worst-case scenarios, cancellation of flights.

The airline scribe however decried the astronomical increase of JET A1, describing it as very expensive for flight operations. .

For now, there seems to be no control over the spiraling cost of the commodity, as it continues to rise almost on a monthly basis because of deregulation in the aviation fuel industry. .

Currently, aviation fuel sells between N182 and N186 per litre, depending on place of purchase.

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