Jet A1 costs trigger fresh airline disruptions
Rising Jet A1 aviation fuel costs and disputes over outstanding payments to fuel marketers are putting further pressure on Nigerian airlines, with passengers facing flight delays and cancellations at major airports.
The situation became evident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, last Friday, where passengers travelling on Air Peace flights to Lagos, Asaba and Maiduguri were left stranded for several hours after the airline experienced fuel-related disruptions.
*Airlines
Abimbola Joseph
Rising Jet A1 aviation fuel costs and disputes over outstanding payments to fuel marketers are putting further pressure on Nigerian airlines, with passengers facing flight delays and cancellations at major airports.
The situation became evident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, last Friday, where passengers travelling on Air Peace flights to Lagos, Asaba and Maiduguri were left stranded for several hours after the airline experienced fuel-related disruptions.
Some passengers scheduled to travel from Abuja to Lagos from about 4pm were delayed until late in the evening, while those booked on flights to Asaba and Maiduguri spent the night at the airport.
The disruption triggered protests from frustrated passengers, some of whom said they were not given adequate explanations for the delays and cancellations.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that the disruption was linked to fuel-related problems.
The NCAA spokesperson, Michael Achimugu, said the authority had received reports that Air Peace was unable to operate some of its flights because of fuel-related issues.
He said the airline had been communicating with affected passengers, although frustrated travellers might not always be receptive to explanations during prolonged delays.
Air Peace subsequently confirmed that the initial disruption to its Abuja operations was caused by the unavailability of Jet A1, saying the problem affected other airlines operating from the airport.
The airline said its affected flights resumed after fuel became available.
However, it said its Abuja-Maiduguri service could not operate as scheduled after the Maiduguri airport tower withdrew an earlier extension because the airport had become subject to Visual Flight Rules and could no longer receive the flight after sunset.
Air Peace apologised to affected passengers, saying they were provided with refreshments and that passengers whose Maiduguri flight was cancelled were given hotel accommodation while arrangements were made to operate the service the following day.
While the airline described the immediate problem as fuel unavailability, aviation industry sources said Jet A1 was available in the country but at significantly higher prices.
One airline source put the current price at about N2,130 per litre in Lagos and Abuja, with prices rising to between N2,180 and N2,230 per litre at some airports outside the two major aviation hubs.
The source said the high cost of aviation fuel was increasing airlines’ operating expenses, particularly for indigenous carriers whose revenues are largely generated in naira while many of their costs are either dollar-denominated or linked to foreign exchange.
The source also alleged that some airlines were experiencing supply difficulties because of outstanding debts to fuel marketers.
“Some airlines may have faced disruptions because they were not supplied the product due to outstanding payments. They are owing millions of naira,” the source said.
The development has renewed concerns over the financial pressure facing domestic airlines, with operators warning that rising fuel and other operating costs could threaten the viability of some carriers.
However, the Managing Director of Aero Contractors, Ado Sanusi, said the issue was not a national shortage of aviation fuel.
Sanusi said the availability of Jet A1 had improved following the emergence of the Dangote refinery, but added that the price remained a major challenge for airlines.
“I am not aware of the scarcity of aviation fuel in Nigeria,” Sanusi said. “The only problem is that it is expensive to purchase.”
He estimated the price at about N2,000 per litre in Lagos and said it was approximately N100 higher outside Lagos.
Sanusi also distanced Aero Contractors from claims about airline debts to fuel marketers, saying the carrier settles its fuel bills as they fall due.
“I can’t comment on any other airline’s debts, but one thing is sure: at Aero Contractors, we are not indebted to fuel marketers,” he said.
The contrasting accounts point to a key challenge for Nigeria’s aviation industry: while Jet A1 may be available, its high cost continues to put pressure on airlines, with the potential to feed into fares and operational disruptions.
For passengers, the immediate concern is whether airlines can secure adequate fuel supplies and maintain reliable schedules as operating costs continue to rise.
