The Airline operators in Nigeria have disclosed to the general public that they would shut down operations across the country on Monday, May 9, 2022 due to high cost of aviation fuel and other operational costs.
The information was conveyed in a letter addressed to the Minister of Aviation, Sadi Sirika, and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), on Friday, May 6, 2022 in Lagos.
The letter, which was duly signed by the President of the Nigeria’s Airline Operators Association, Serina Abdulmunaf, noted that overtime, price of aviation fuel – known as JetA1 – had risen from N190 per litre to N700 currently, and described the rise as ‘astronomical’.
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“While aviation fuel worldwide is said to constitute about 40 per cent of an airline’s operating cost globally, the present hike has shot up Nigeria’s operating cost to about 95 per cent.
“In the face of this, airlines have engaged the Federal Government, the National Assembly, NNPC and Oil Marketers with the view to bringing the cost of JetA1 down, to no success.” he said.
The president of the Association went further to disclose that the situation had made the unit cost per seat for a one-hour flight in Nigeria to an average of N120,000.
Mr Abdulmunaf regretted that the cost of aviation fuel had continued to rise unabated, thereby creating huge pressure on the sustainability of operations and financial viability of the airlines.
Speaking further in the letter, he observed, “This situation is unsustainable and the airlines can no longer absorb the pressure.”
The president, however, appealed to travellers to kindly reconsider their travel itinerary and make alternative arrangements.
While expressing that the members appreciate the efforts of the current government to boost the growth of air transport in the country, but regretted the inconveniences the very difficult decision may cause their teeming customers.
The current situation, as mentioned above, has presently made air flight seem not unlike a means of transportation meant only for those in the highest class in Nigeria, which is highly regrettable and unacceptable.
The government, without equivocations, shouldn’t wait for such a pronouncement to emanate from the Airline operators before taking a drastic measure towards ending the uncalled hike of the price of JetA1 apparently occasioned by its scarcity across the country.
It’s really saddening to realize that the various levels of government in Nigeria invariably wait for workers to pronounce plan for strike, or worse still embark on it, before taking the required actions. This is currently witnessed in the education industry in the country. It is indeed condemnable.
The concerned authorities know exactly the needed approach to end the ongoing ugly experience in the Aviation industry, hence ought not to hesitate to do the needful.