The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria is preventing oil marketers from refueling aircraft at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja where airlines continue to encounter delays due to a shortage of Jet A1 aviation fuel.
Obi Mbanuzuo, the Chief Commercial Officer of Green Africa, claims that FAAN is denying access to the marketers because they disobeyed its “impromptu” 100% increase in Apron pass fees.
“FAAN is currently limiting access to all fuel marketers in Abuja,” he declared. The explanation is that they implemented a 100% increase in apron pass fees and demanded immediate payment. There are currently no fuel vendors and no fuel marketers permitted on the apron.
Two of our aircraft are currently stuck on the ground in Abuja while they wait for fuel.We had the option to tanker into Abuja, but we were too full to do so.
Ramps in Abuja are currently backed up because most airlines have at least two aircraft currently parked on the ground.
Lagos to Akure with a 100% load factor of 4 pm is now canceled because, even if we leave on time, we will not make it in time for sunset.
Akure to Lagos was 70% full. Easter plans for passengers were ruined due to the disagreement between FAAN and fuel marketers.
Flights are landing but are running out of fuel, according to many airline operators, including Ibom Air, Green Africa, and others.
In response to this most recent development, Olumide Ohunayo, assistant general secretary of the Aviation Round Table, stated, “I think they are using the fuel marketers as an example, but the charges affect everyone, including ground handlers etc. Although there has been an overall increase, Abuja is acting now.
But a lot of interested parties have questioned whether or not the marketers were led along.
As of the time this report was submitted, all attempts to contact FAAN for a comment on the matter had failed.
