Scarcity of Aviation fuel abates

Scarcity of Aviation fuel in the country has continued to abate especially at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja following the supply of the product there.

Investigation by the Daily Times revealed that with supply coming in little quantities, airlines have started taking the product and commenced flight operations.

However, passengers still groan as the supply of Jet A1 was yet to get to all airlines.

At the MMA2, Dana Air, Azman Airlines and Aero Contractors operated in and out of the terminal to various destinations on Monday.

According to the Dana image maker, Kingsley Ezenwa, aviation fuel, jet A1 now sells for N250 per litre and was being supplied by only one marketer.

He told the Daily Times that that it has not negatively affected their operations but only few cancelations between Sunday and Monday.

Ezenwa appealed to the government to resolve the issue as most passengers were not ready to know reason why airlines were canceling flights.

The scarcity of Aviation fuel has led to rise in air fares and compounded by shortage of aircraft, thereby increasing the pressure on the existing airlines and capacity. Nigeria’s oldest airline, Aero Contractors had many of its airplanes ferried out of the shores of Nigeria for maintenance and about four of the airplanes are yet to return.

It was learnt that Medview, Dana and Arik among others, also have some of their airplanes out for maintenance.

The implication is that demand outweighs supply, leading to full flights by many of the carriers for the few passengers they airlift.

An hour flight from Lagos to Abuja for instance, has jumped from between N16, 000 and N17, 000 to between N23, 000 and N28, 000 depending on time of ticket purchase.

The fare could be more if tickets are bought shortly before a trip and that could be as high as N30, 000 and N32, 000 depending on availability of seats for just a one way flight.

Jet A1 has now jumped to N250 per litre and above. Before now, it used to be between N85 and N90 per litre depending on place of purchase.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has called on all passengers who are experiencing the attendant flight delays and cancellations arising from the scarcity of Aviation fuel to exercise restraint.

This call it said became necessary due to reports of passengers’ rage and violence from some of the nation’s airports in the last few days.

In some cases, irate passengers were reported to have resorted to wanton destruction of certain facilities at the airports.

The regulatory authority said it agrees with the passengers that the conditions of carriage on their tickets must be upheld by the operating airlines, adding that it was their statutory responsibility to ensure that passengers derive value for their money.

Speaking further, Ezenwa added that the NCAA was well primed to ensure that all aggrieved passengers’ complaints are professionally handled by its Consumer Protection Officers, and these include flight cancellations, delays, missing baggage, denied boarding, etc.

“However, the Authority wishes to inform all passengers that it is well aware of the prevailing scarcity of Jet A1 which has inevitably led to flight cancellations and delays by the airlines.

“The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has also taken cognizance of concerted efforts being made by the airlines to ensure that all passengers are ferried without any hitches.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria is already engaging all the stakeholders involved with the procurement and distribution of aviation fuel to ensure availability in earnest.

“All passengers are therefore enjoined to exercise caution while expressing their grievances as the airlines are grappling with the challenges thrown up by the non- availability of Jet A1,” he stated.

On the other hand, he said the airline operators must ensure they adhere strictly to the Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs) in their operations and passengers must be informed of any development concerning their flights well ahead of time.