Flight Tickets Leap By 40% As Aviation Fuel Hits N200/litre

The protracted scarcity of aviation fuel, known as Jet A1, across the country, has led to the hike in the price of the commodity.

The cities of Lagos, Abuja and Kano are the worst hit, with Lagos, selling for N180, while Abuja sells for over N192 a litre and Kano sells for N200, from N170 per litre, Daily Trust findings revealed

However it was gathered that some airlines, like Med-View and Dana, have not cancelled their flights despite the prevailing difficulty in accessing Jet A1 but passengers continue to experience delays running into hours.

On its part, Arik Air with over 120 daily flights and 500,000 litres fuel requirement on a daily basis said the problem had disrupted its normal schedule.

Its spokesman, Ola Adebanji, said the airline “is working on a longer term plan which will be finalised in the coming months to mitigate the situation and to be in a better position to address such supply shortages and delays.”

Other airlines that are seriously affected are Air Peace, AZMAN and First Nation.Also, at the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA) on Tuesday afternoon, there were reports that many passengers were unable to purchase ticket as at 4 pm due to high prices.

Findings by Daily Trust showed that the prices increased between N5000 to N8000 or 40 percent depending on destination and time of ticket purchase.