More flight cancellations await air travellers, as airlines bemoan scarcity, high cost of aviation fuel

[By VICTOR NZE]

Scarcity of aviation fuel, also called JET A1, has hit operations of Nigerian airlines as it now threatens more flight delays and cancellations across all domestic routes in the country.

Jet A1 accounts for at least 40% of airlines’ operational cost and these recent increases may affect the bottom line and be laid at the feet of the final consumer, the passenger.

Aside the scarcity of foreign exchange (forex) which domestic operators had earlier raised as being among their major challenges, the issue of aviation fuel may compound an already precarious situation for both air travellers and airline operators in terms of flight delays and cancellations.

The product which has become scarce in the midst of the shortage already experienced with the premium motor spirit (PMS), has also topped in price making its sourcing difficult.

PMS shortage and scarcity have continued despite assurances by the NNPC Ltd that the situation which arose over importation of the wrong specification of petrol for the local market, and has persisted till now, would be resolved by February ending.

However, the current scarcity and hike of the JET A1 product may ground Nigeria’s aviation operations if not addressed.

The product which had revolved around N400 per litre, has now hit N500 to N600 per litre in parts of the country.

Already, Ibom  Air, which is one of the operators hard hit by the scarcity issued a statement to its customers, Tuesday, regretting the situation that had forced it to either delay or cancel scheduled flights, warning of more difficult times.

“We have encountered a situation today where aviation fuel is scarce & therefore unavailable at almost all our flight destinations.

“This has significantly impacted our flight schedule today and may do the same tomorrow.

“We sincerely apologize to all our passengers affected by the current situation.

“At this time, 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.

“Our passengers and the public should please be informed. We will give an update once we have further information,” the airline said.

It would be recalled that domestic operators, under the aegis of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) last month, addressed the issue of flight cancellations and delays, when in a statement, it blamed issues like weather, inadequate aircraft parking space, restrictions caused by sunset airports, delays due to VIP movement, frequent Bird Strikes and Foreign Object Damage (FOD) pose some of these challenges.

The statement was signed by Alhaji Yunusa S. Abdulmunaf of the AON, Barr. Allen Onyema and endorsed by Alhaji Shehu Wada – Max Air, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo – United Nigeria Airlines, Capt. Mfon Udom – Ibom Air, Capt. Roy Ilegbodu – Arik Air; Capt. Abdullahi Mahmood – Aero Contractors, Alhaji Faisal Abdulmunaf – Azman Air, Capt. Edward Boyo – Overland Airways, Mr. Afolabi Babawande – Green Africa and Mr. Sukh Mann – Dana Air.

According to the domestic operators, other challenged adduced for the flight delays and cancellations include; unavailability and ever rising cost of aviation Fuel; Unavailability of forex for spare parts and maintenance, delays from Customs in clearing of Safety critical spare parts, Poor air traffic flow, Inadequate Check-in Counters.

Airline operators also pointed to cases of inadequate screening and exit points at departure and unserviceable baggage claim machines (Carousel), inadequate and unreliable Ground Services Equipment, unruly behavior of passengers and failure to obey rules, lack of runway lights, as well as, unforeseen circumstances due to component failures and ground accidents.

“It is not in the interest of any airline, whether in Nigeria or anywhere else, to delay or cancel flights as this has severe financial and image consequences.

“While flight delays and cancellations occur all over the world, it is however instructive to note that in Nigeria, 80% of the causes of delays and cancellations are due to factors that are neither in the control of airlines nor caused by them.

“Unavailability and ever rising cost of Aviation Fuel – JetA1 today costs above N410 in Lagos, N422 in Abuja and Port Harcourt, and N429 in Kano per litre and has continued to rise fast and steadily. On top of the continuous rise in the fuel price, fuel supply is at best epileptic at several airports thereby causing delays.

 “Unavailability of Forex for spare parts and maintenance – Airlines carryout most of their activities in dollars which today sells for between N580 to N600 and is in short supply. Nigeria’s domestic airlines are in a ‘life and death’ struggle to secure the Forex they need to acquire their spare parts to maintain their aircraft. This is a major influence on how quickly a grounded aircraft can be fixed and restored to its flight schedule, which in turn has a huge impact on the schedule reliability of the domestic airlines.

“Delays from Customs in clearing of Safety critical spare parts – Many airlines cannot clear their aircraft spare parts for weeks or months due to Customs bottlenecks… Poor air traffic flow – Sometimes airlines have to wait on the ground in a queue for long periods before being given clearance for takeoff. This goes a long way to affect its arrival and next departure times.

“Lack of Runway Lights – Sometimes airlines are forced to taxi for long periods due to unavailability of runway lights on a particular runway. This further extends the operational time between flights,” the operators said.

The group, however, urged ‘the high profile and respected public office holders to seek for information first so that they have the insights they need to help solve the solvable problems that hinder the domestic air transport system as this is what we expect from them.’