Aviation fuel scarcity makes local air travel unpredictable –Operators
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Flight delay and cancellation affected many passengers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Monday, with domestic airline operators blaming it on scarcity of aviation fuel.
A News Agency of Nigeria correspondent, who monitored the situation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport 2 and the General Aviation Terminal observed that only few flights operated on schedule.
A reliable airline source told NAN that the problem was caused by the inability of petroleum tanker drivers to lift aviation fuel from Apapa as a result of gridlock on that axis.
The source noted that the problem, which was more pronounced on Sunday, was, however, gradually abating as some marketers had been able to start taking products to the airport.
Confirming the development, the media consultant to Med-View Airline, Mr. Obuke Oyibhota, said it was a general problem faced by the airlines.
“There is a general scarcity of aviation fuel. We have gotten a way around it to enable us continue our operations during the period, but we don’t know how long it will last,” Obuke said.
General Manager, Corporate Communications, Air Peace, Mr. Chris Iwarah, said the airline had put plans in place to continue operations in spite of the problem.
He said: “The scarcity is affecting flights to some extent at the moment, but we are still relying on our stock and the arrangement we made with the suppliers.
“However, nobody knows whether it may become more difficult, but for now, we are trying to see how we can manage the plans we have on ground to ensure that the impact is only minimal.”
Two passengers, Messrs John Olateru and Donatus Eze, told NAN that the situation was unfortunate and appealed to the authorities to find a lasting solution to the problem. (NAN)
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