Many Nigerians travelling within and outside the shores of the country have been left stranded – no thanks to the ongoing aviation fuel scarcity.
The aviation fuel scarcity had led to delays in flights for various airlines, such that many ticket holders created a scene at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday, July 14, 2022.
However, while some airlines attributed the delay of their flights to Lagos to the ongoing repairs of a runway at the Murtala Muhammad Airport, several others blamed it on aviation fuel scarcity.
The passengers of Max Air, Overland Airways, and United Airlines, among others, condemned the flight delays after being stranded at the airport for more than three hours.
According to a source, Max Air, for instance, delayed a Port Harcourt-bound flight for about three hours, a development that led to a protest by its passengers.
“There was a Max Air flight meant for 9am from Abuja to Port Harcourt and it was rescheduled to 12noon. But they (Max Air) appealed to the passengers, they even gave them refreshments, but the passengers just kept protesting.
“However, it wasn’t something serious. It has nothing to do with FAAN (Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria) as some passengers and airline workers claim. Rather the protest at the airport involved passengers of Max Air after their 9am flight was delayed to 12pm,” the source added.
Meanwhile, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) had warned that aviation fuel scarcity may cause disruption in the travelling sector, such that operators may stop their businesses.
Speaking on behalf of AON at the ongoing National Aviation Conference (NAC) organised by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in Abuja, the Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema said even though the Federal Government (FG) had intervened, success was yet to reflect on the prices of aviation fuel, which he noted is cropping the industry.
According to Onyema, already, no less than 70 airlines have gone into extinction in recent times, attributing the incessant collapse of airlines in Nigeria to the excessive charges confronting operators in the sector, among other concerns.
