Passengers travelling from various airports in Nigeria are again experiencing flight delays and cancellations as aviation fuel scarcity resurfaces.
Last week, airlines bought aviation for as high as N850 per litre with some suppliers running out of fuel and unable to meet up with supplies for the airlines, thereby impacting the operations of airlines and leading to several flight delays and cancellations.
The situation has made the airlines seek ways to mitigate the effects, with the utilisation of the interline agreement signed by domestic carriers a few months ago.
In March 2022, six Nigerian airlines including Air Peace, Azman Air, United Nigeria Airline, Arik Air, Aero Contractors and Max Air signed a pact, tagged ‘Spring Alliance’, to mutually support one another’s operations and improve service delivery for their clients.
Passengers said this alliance had helped reduce delays and cancellations.
Several passengers whose flights were delayed over the weekend at the Murtala Muhammed Airport spoke to BusinessDay.
“Delays are no longer new to us. These days, airlines delay flights and make excuses with aviation fuel scarcity. I am supposed to be on a 10’oclock flight on Arik Air but the flight has again been delayed for another hour. I just hope they won’t delay further,” Ime Susan, a traveller, told BusinessDay.
“Same flight delay happened on Green Africa last week. Almost all airlines don’t keep to schedule anymore because of aviation fuel scarcity. Passengers have to suffer waiting for hours for flights to take off.”
Another passenger who identified himself as Emmanuel said he would have missed his engagement in Abuja last week if United Nigeria did not have an interline agreement with Dana that allowed Dana pick up stranded passengers that were supposed to fly on United Nigeria.
He said: “Last week, I got to the airport and was told I will be flying with Dana from Lagos airport, after buying a ticket with United Nigeria. This period was when the fuel crisis resurfaced last week and I believe it affected the airline.
“Rather than cancel the flight, United Airline leveraged its partnership with Dana to protect the passengers and ensure they get to their destinations. I must commend United Nigeria and Dana for having such arrangements. We hope to see more of these partnerships that protect the passengers and help reduce flight cancellations and delays.”
Another traveller, who simply identified himself as Yusuf, said his flight to Kano last week was delayed for about two hours and this distorted his plans for the day.
“I do not think this is the best time to travel in Nigeria because almost all airlines now delay and this can affect plans by travellers,” he said.
BusinessDay’s investigations show that as of Friday, some flights were operating from Lagos on schedule, with few delays as a result of aviation fuel scarcity.
Obiukwu Mbanuzuo, chief commercial officer, Green Africa, confirmed to BusinessDay that for Green Africa, the fuel scarcity resurfaced last week but had got better.
According to him, last Tuesday was the worst when there was practically no fuel in Lagos, Abuja and Owerri and their flights had to go to Port Harcourt to pick fuel.
Read also: Air Peace records full load factor on inuagural flight to China
He said: “Imagine an Owerri to Lagos flight having to stop in Port Harcourt to get fuel. The same thing also happened from Enugu to Lagos; we stopped in Port Harcourt for fuel. But it’s getting better now with supply available again in most places.
“Price was also a problem last week. We were forced to pay up to N850 per litre in some locations for the little fuel available.”
He said few hiccups were still causing delays, adding: “For example, on Thursday, our morning flights that normally depart at 6am and 7am get fuelled at 4am/5am in the morning. But the fuel marketer didn’t turn up till 7am so the 6am flight left at 7:30am while the 7am departed late as well. This has a knock-on effect on all the next flights of the day. Someone on a 5pm flight with a delay doesn’t know it was because an earlier flight at 7am for delayed due to fuel crisis.”
Dana Air, in a statement on Friday, said that due to prevailing fuel scarcity in some airports around the country, it envisaged flight delays in the coming days.
“While we are doing our best to mitigate the expected delays, we shall keep you informed on any changes in our schedules,” Dana said.
On Friday, the management of Ibom Air informed the general public and its customers that despite its best efforts, its passengers would experience flight delays during this period, due to the closure of domestic airport runway and aviation fuel scarcity.
The airline said both factors had resulted in its operations being delayed more often than not.
