Domestic Flights In Nigeria Disrupted Due To Fuel Scarcity

Fuel scarcity in Nigeria have caused domestic airlines to cancel some internal flights and delay others this week, two of the country’s biggest carriers revealed on Wednesday.

Air Peace, Nigeria’s biggest carrier by passenger numbers, flying to Dubai and Johannesburg, stated that it was likely to experience flight disruptions in the coming days as a result of jet fuel scarcity.

“Unfortunately, the fuel scarcity is starting to seriously impact our operations,” it said.

Another carrier, Arik Air, delayed almost all its flights on Tuesday and cancelled others. It added that there was no certainty on the situation in the coming days.

According to Arik Air, Nigeria imports almost all its jet fuel, which has nearly doubled to as high as 625 naira (about R22) per litre since December.

Global jet fuel prices have hit a near 14-year peak as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered a hike in the crude oil market, hitting airlines and passengers with steep cost increases.

The latest crisis marks a further huge blow to an airline sector still recovering from the effects of Covid-19 restrictions.