Flight disruptions loom as fuel scarcity returns -

Air passengers may experience flight delays and cancellations this festive season owing to the re-emergence of aviation fuel scarcity across several states in Nigeria.

The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has notified the public of the “impending disruptions in scheduled flight operations due to the scarcity of aviation fuel, otherwise known as JET-A1, which reared its ugly head again in the past few days”.

“This unintended development is a pain on airline operators and a stain on the industry especially at this time of mass movement of people for the Christmas and New Year festivities,” Obiora Okonkwo, spokesman of AON, said in a statement on Tuesday. “While we do our utmost best to manage the situation and ensure safe flight operations, we plead the understanding of the traveling public in the circumstance.”

Okonkwo called on the concerned authorities including product importers and marketers to do their best to resolve the fuel scarcity so as to ease the stress it would bring on the travelling public.

“As airline operators, we remain committed to doing all that is necessary to ensure seamless services and safe air travels in our dear country,” he added.

The country had previously battled with a months-long aviation fuel crisis, which began in late February and threatened the ability of airlines to continue operations. Then the price of JetA1 jumped from N200 per litre in December 2021 to over N400 per litre in February and N800 per litre in the third quarter.

Allen Onyema, vice president of AON and chairman of Air Peace, had earlier in the year warned that if nothing was done concerning the cost of aviation fuel, the fuel crisis would force airlines to suspend operations.

“Aviation fuel prices may take airlines out, not only in Nigeria but everywhere in the world. Some airlines outside Nigeria have shut down because of the rising cost of aviation fuel. If these things are not addressed in Nigeria, it can affect the bottom line of all airlines in Nigeria,” he said at the time.

He said when airline operators decided to charge N50,000 as base fare, they looked at cost per seat and discovered that airlines would still not make profit if they charged N60,000 because multiple taxation was eroding airlines’ revenues.

One year ago, the economic base fare for tickets was between N25,000 and N30,000 but the airlines increased economy tickets to N50,000 and N60,000 in February.

The operators later increased base fare from N50,000 to over N80,000. Currently, the cost of a one-way ticket for a one-hour flight costs between N75,000 and N130,000, depending on the destination and the number of airlines operating the route.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.