Airlines and Passengers alike are getting increasingly frustrated at the number of flight cancellations and delays in Nigeria. A senate committee on aviation has come together this week to seek solutions
Smart Adeyemi, chairman of the aviation committee, expressed his concerns about the current state of the industry
However, Allen Onyema, chief executive officer (CEO) of Air Peace, said the rising cost of jet fuel and lack of parking spaces at the airports was the main cause of the delays and flight cancellations
The Air Peace CEO made his remarks while appearing before the senate committee on behalf of aircraft operators. His main concern was the increase in operational costs as a result of the growing fuel price
“Apart from the fact that the shortage of Jet A-1 is crippling our operations, the marketers have been increasing the price of the product consistently in the recent past to an unbearable point,” Allen Oyema said.
“As of April this year, Jet A-1 fuel was being sold for about N230 a litre. About a month ago in May, the price jumped to between N250 to N255.
“Today, the price has skyrocketed to an average of N280 to N300 a litre depending if you are buying in Lagos or Abuja. This has greatly increased our operational cost.”
The Air Peace CEO also pointed to the current capacity constraints at the airports. With parking space a major worry. He also identified a rise in unruly behavior especially during the rush hours
“Some passengers should be prosecuted for their “unruly behaviour”, Onyema said
Photo. courtesy: allafrica.com
