Domestic airlines in Nigeria have said they will be forced to shut down operations due to hike in the price of JET A1 (aviation fuel) in the country.
This was disclosed by chairman of Airpeace, Allen Onyeama, who spoke on behalf of Airlines Operators of Nigeria (AON), on Thursday.
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According to him, airlines are now buying fuel at N670 per litre,up from N190 at the end of last year.
“Unfortunately, the fuel scarcity is starting to seriously impact our operations as we are likely going to experience flight disruption today and in the coming days until the situation abates. The aviation fuel crisis is taking a new turn and has continued to affect our operations, he said.
“If the prices of aviation fuel keep rising at the rate they are moving, we are not sure we will survive the next 72 hours.”
Also addressing the issue in a statement, lbom Air said, “Our operations has encountered a situation today where aviation fuel is scarce and therefore unavailable at almost all our flight destinations.
“We have no indication when the issue will be resolved. However, we are working with our fellow airlines and fuel suppliers to find a solution.”
It’s been a month since the country was thrown in fuel crisis following the withdrawal of the imported Methanol-blended petrol otherwise known as Off Spec fuel by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) from the markets across the country, despite reports in the media that more than a billion litres of fuel has been brought into the country yet the crisis is lingering.
