The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has attributed the flight delays and cancellations experienced by air travellers in the country to lack of critical infrastructure at the nation’s airports.
Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, who stated this at a press conference in Abuja, said a lot of things were involved in flight delays and cancellations, which customers are not aware of, which is why they often blame the airlines.
He decried the hostile environment Nigerian airlines have to operate in with limited infrastructure.
According to him, no airline in the world would want to delay flights because of the cost implications of doing so, even as he directly accused the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) of being responsible for the flight delays and cancellations.
“How would I just wake up and want to delay my flight when I know I am going to incur a heavy cost? The Airlines are at the mercy of everybody. The owners of airlines in Nigeria are patriotic because it is not profitable. They are doing it as a service to Nigeria and should be applauded, not demonised.
“Nigerian indigenous airlines are performing under certain conditions that we should be applauded for still staying afloat. Is it forex, or fuel infrastructure? How about bird strikes in a good country? the airlines would have gone to court against FAAN for all the bird strikes because we pay for these services. Air Peace alone had had over twenty bird strikes in a year,” Onyema stated.
Spokesperson for AON and Chairman, United Nigeria Airlines, Obiora Okonkwo, alleged that there is huge racketeering in the aviation fuel imports to the detriment of the airlines.
According to him, “aviation fuel selling above N800/litre isn’t acceptable as our calculation shows that it shouldn’t be selling above N500/litre.”
“The authorities should make forex available and do something about the fuel racketeering. We are paying above the real cost. We are not asking for free money nor subsidy but the right thing should be done as the burden is transferred to the travellers.”
The President/Chief Executive Officer, Top Brass Aviation, Capt. Roland Iyayi noted that the inadequacy of critical infrastructure impacts more on flight delays more than any other thing