Airlines cancel, delay flights as aviation fuel scarcity resurfaces

Airlines are again canceling and delaying flights across Nigeria as aviation fuel scarcity resurfaces.

BusinessDay’s checks show that aviation fuel scarcity is still biting hard on industry and there have been several delays and cancellations due to scarcity in the last one week.

“In the last one week, my flights hardly take off or land on scheduled time. Flights delays and cancellations are back again. The airlines say they have been battling with scarcity of aviation fuel. We hope this issue is again resolved as it is really affecting the flying public,” a frequent traveller who identified himself as Chuks said.

Hundreds of airline passengers were stranded over the weekend across the country, following another scarcity and the high rising cost of aviation fuel known as Jet A1.

Read also: Incentives needed to increase sustainable aviation fuel production globally – IATA

The development, it was learnt, started before the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

In Abuja, Adamawa, Lagos and other airports, air passengers were stranded between Saturday and Sunday at some airports for over 24 hours, forcing some of the passengers to spend the night at the departure areas of the airports, as they were not aware of the rescheduling of their flights until late in the evening.

Few weeks ago, airlines, under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), warned about the disruption of scheduled flight operations over the growing scarcity of aviation fuel.

Airline operators had also complained about the rising cost of aviation fuel and threatened to shut down operations but suspended the decision following the intervention of Hadi Sirika, the minister of aviation.