The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has said passengers should expect more flight disruptions, as the scarcity of aviation fuel, known as Jet A1 is biting harder.
AON’s spokesman and Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Obiora Okonkwo, said in a statement on Monday that the persistent fuel scarcity is affecting the operations of air transport in the country and could lead to more rescheduling and cancellations of flights.
He however said that the AON is working in alliance with product marketers, government and relevant stakeholders to ensure availability and proper pricing of the product in the country.
“The Airline Operators of Nigeria wish to alert the public of impending disruptions to scheduled flight operations of members of the association. This development is being forced on members by the growing scarcity of aviation fuel popular as Jet-Al.
“The scarcity is impacting negatively on the seamless conduct of air transport operations and would lead to flight rescheduling, and, or, cancellations.
“While pleading the understanding of the flying public in the face of this reality, we also promise to do all that is necessary, and within our powers, to restore normal flight schedules as soon as possible,” he said.
However, the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika at the opening of the 7th African Indian Ocean Region (AFI) Aviation Week in Abuja yesterday said that petroleum products scarcity has become a global problem because of the Russian-Ukraine war, noting that there is scarcity of the products in different parts of the world.
He said that recognsing that this issue is not peculiar to Nigeria, he expected airline operators to show more understanding, as they have severally acknowledged that the Buhari administration has done so much for them since the history of Nigeria.
He also noted that if Nigeria were refining petroleum products locally the supply would have been adequate and the prices lower than what is currently obtained, adding that the non-function of the refineries has been there for several years before the current government.
