The scarcity of aviation fuel also called Jet A1 took a new turn on Thursday, as airlines resorted to outright cancellation of scheduled flights while some had delays and diversions.
Some flights were diverted to nearest airports when the operators noticed the fuel in their aircraft could not get to planned destination.
The Head, Media Unit, Chachangi Airlines, Mr. Adamu Muhammed, told our correspondents on Thursday that it cancelled its Lagos-Owerri flight due to fuel scarcity, after struggling to accommodate a few delays.
He said, �We have to cancel our flight to Owerri due to the scarcity, which had been biting so hard on us for some times now.
Although we have had some delays today and in the last few days, but we hope things will be sorted out so that the price too comes down.�
The Head, Media Relations, IRS Airlines, Mr. Solomon Ibharuneafe, told our correspondents that the airline had implemented a 20 per cent increase in air fares when it could no longer cope with the scarcity and sharp increase in the price of fuel.
According to him, aviation fuel had jumped from N85 per litre to N105, which necessitated a hike in airfare, as a one hour flight now goes for N16,000 instead of N13,000.
He added, �The situation has been on since and we have been trying to cope with it, but it has become unbearable and we had to increase the cost.
�For instance, last week, one of our aircraft had to run empty back to Lagos to refuel from Abuja, when the scarcity became serious there.
This is coupled with other operational costs such as N1.4m paid to a pilot per month, and cabin crew earning close to N100,000 per month. You can confirm the aviation price increase from the marketers like Oando, Mobil and the rest�
Virgin Nigeria, in a statement by its Corporate Communications Manager, Mrs Nkiru Olumide-Ojo, said some of its flights had also been delayed while others were cancelled.
Meanwhile, industry regulators and major oil marketers have disagreed on the cause of the current scarcity of aviation fuel, leading to hike in airfares.
The Department of Petroleum Resources, said on Thursday that lack of proper documentation caused a delay in the discharge of vessel laden with aviation fuel at the Apapa Port.
However, the Chairman, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Wale Tinubu, said logistics hiccups at the Apapa Terminal on Tuesday, caused the distribution delays.
He said, �It (aviation fuel) is not a continuous shortage, it is just some hiccups in logistic because there is only one import terminal for aviation fuel in the country, which is in Apapa. Although Onne, Rivers State has some facility, but it is not often in use.�
Sources said that the logistic problem arose from the suspension of vessel operations by Maersk Shipping Line to Nigeria, following militant attacks of one of its vessels in Onne.