Airlines in Nigeria have announced that they are suspending operations nationwide from Monday, May 9, 2022. They cited the astronomical rise in the cost of aviation fuel as the reason for this decision.
In a statement released by the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) on Friday, signed by the President of AON, Abdulmunaf Yunusa and copied to the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika and the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Capt. Musa Nuhu.
It read “It is with a great sense of responsibility and patriotism that the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) have carried on deploying and subsidising their services to our highly esteemed Nigerian flying public in the last four months despite the astronomical hike in the price of JetA1 and other operating costs.
“Overtime, aviation fuel price (JetA1) has risen from N190 per litre to N700 currently. 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 which has currently made the unit cost per seat for a one hour flight in Nigeria today to an average of N120,000. The latter cannot be fully passed to passengers who are already experiencing a lot of difficulties.”
The statement was jointly signed by Alhaji Shehu Wada, Executive director, Max Air; Capt. Mfon Udom, CEO, Ibom Air; Capt. Abdullahi Mahmood, CEO, Aero Contractors; Capt. Edward Boyo, CEO, Overland Airways; Bar. Allen Onyeama, Chairman, Air Peace; Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, Chairman, United Nigeria Airlines; Capt. Roy Ilegbodu, CEO, Arik Air; Alhaji Faisal Abdulmunaf, MD, Azman Air; and Mr. Sukh Mann, Deputy CEO, Dana Air.
