Air Peace's Dr. Onyema Addresses Aviation Fuel Crisis

Nigerian airlines are considering cutting down flight operations to focus solely on profitable routes as the price of aviation fuel, known as Jet A1, has remained high since February. The cost peaked at N3,500 per litre during the Middle East crisis but has since stabilized around N2,500.

Airlines report that fuel now constitutes 45% to 50% of their total operating expenses. Dr. Allen Onyema, founder of Air Peace, noted that the cost for a single flight has escalated from N3 million to between N12 million and N13 million.

This financial strain has led airlines to accumulate debts with fuel vendors, resulting in sudden flight groundings. Despite Dangote Refinery supplying Jet A1, pricing remains unsustainably high, with airlines alleging significant markups by middle-tier marketers.

Efeoghene Osifo-Whiskey, spokesperson for Air Peace, stated that fuel supply challenges disrupt operational schedules and affect on-time performance, causing delays and passenger build-up.