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Arik Air reduces flight operations amid aviation fuel scarcity

16 Nov 2016, 04:51 pm
Financial Nigeria
Arik Air reduces flight operations amid aviation fuel scarcity

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- The company said it took the decision to reduce flight delays and cancellations.

An Arik Air aircraft at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja

Arik Air, Nigeria’s leading airline, said today that it has reduced its flights to cope with a fresh scarcity of aviation fuel. The company said it took the decision in order to reduce flight delays and cancellations, which has been prevalent in recent times.

“With a daily fuel need of about 500,000 litres and an average of over 100 daily flights, Arik Air is mostly affected by this scarcity which is the fourth this year alone,” the airline said. “One of the airline’s flights to Johannesburg on Tuesday had to be routed via Port Harcourt to pick up fuel.”

Arik Air said the latest aviation fuel scarcity began last week when major oil markets began rationing the product to airlines. The airline said one of the marketers issued a “Notice to Airmen” (NOTAM) last Saturday, announcing non-availability of the product in Lagos. Another marketer also warned of dwindling supplies in Lagos as well as in Port Harcourt and Abuja.

“This development has started taking its toll on Arik Air due to the airline’s large scale operations, with flights being delayed across the country and in some cases cancelled especially for airports without airfield lighting,” the airline said.

It has therefore appealed for the understanding of its valued customers whose flights are likely to be affected by the scarcity and scaling down of operations. Where flights are to be delayed or cancelled as a result of the scarcity, Arik Air will be sending text or email messages to passengers.

Airline operations in Nigeria have been hit hard by a lingering scarcity of aviation fuel as well as foreign exchange shortages. Aero Contractors, one of the largest Nigerian carriers, suspended operations in August this year due to the harsh operating environment.

Foreign airlines have also been impacted by the ongoing crisis, causing many to either scale down or cancel their Nigerian operations entirely. Last month, Emirates Airlines and Kenya Airways suspended flights to Abuja while United Airlines, a major US airline, and Iberia, Spain’s leading airline, cancelled their Nigeria routes earlier this year.


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