Nigerian airline operators shut down operations from Monday By Kazie Uko

The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has announced imminent shutdown of operations from Monday due to the high cost of aviation fuel. The cost of aviation fuel, also known as Jet-A1, had steadily risen from N190/litre in January this year to N607/litre in March. The product now reportedly sells for about N700/litre. In a letter sent to the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, by its President, Abdulmunaf Yunusa Sarina, the AON expressed its unwillingness to pass the cost down to its customers, who, according to it, were already experiencing a lot of difficulties. The letter read: “It is with a great sense of responsibility and patriotism that the Airline Operators of Nigeria have carried on deploying and subsidising their services to our highly esteemed Nigerian flying public in the last four months despite the steady and astronomical hike in the price of Jet-A1 and other operating costs. “Overtime, aviation fuel price has risen from N190 per litre to N700 currently. No airline in the world can absorb this kind of sudden shock from such an astronomical rise over a short period. “While aviation fuel worldwide is said to cost about 40 per cent of an airline’s operating cost globally, the present hike has shut 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 Jet-A1 down which has currently made the unit cost per seat for a one-hour flight in Nigeria today to an average of N120,000. READ: One-way ticket for local air travel may hit N120,000 “The latter cannot be fully passed to passengers who are already experiencing a lot of difficulties. “While AON appreciates the efforts of the current government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure air transport in Nigeria grows, unfortunately, the cost of aviation fuel has continued to rise unabated thereby creating huge pressure on the sustainability of operations and financial viability of the airlines. This is unsustainable and the airlines can no longer absorb the pressure. “To this end therefore, the Airline Operators of Nigeria, hereby, wishes to regrettably inform the general public that member airlines will discontinue operations nationwide with effect from Monday May 9, 2022, until further notice. “AON uses this medium to humbly state that we regret any inconveniences this very difficult decision might cause and appeal to travellers to kindly reconsider their travel itinerary and make alternative arrangements.”