Airlines strike in Nigeria update: Ibom air, Green Africa Airlines, Arik Air, Dana Air, odas go continue flight schedules as operators suspend action

Di Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) don suspend dia plan to strike and stop flights schedule across di kontri.

Di strike bin suppose start on Monday but di AON President Abdulmunaf Sarina tok inside statement wey six members of di association jointly sign say dem announce di suspension say dem do am in di interest of di national economy and security considerations.

Di Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) bin don say di strike no go make sense and e go amount to exploitation if airlines suspend flights afta collecting money for tickets from passengers.

Di operators dey complain of di increase in price of JetA1, wey be aviation fuel.

Nigeria goment bin also beg di operators to “reconsider dia stand” sake of di effect.

Cost of aviation fuel rise

Di cost of JetA1, wey be aviation fuel don increase from N190 per litre to N700, dis na according to di airline operators of Nigeria.

Abdulmunaf Sarina, president of di operators for letter wey e send to Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika say di high cost of di fuel dey affect di operation cost of airlines.

E say, “while aviation fuel worldwide dey cost about 40% of airline operating cost globally, di present hike don increase Nigeria operating cost to about 95%.”

Abdulmunaf Sarina say airlines dey run at a loss sake of di situation and e no good for dia business.

“Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) hereby wish to regrettably inform di general public say member airlines go discontinue operations nationwide wit effect from Monday May 9, 2022 until further notice.”

Goment beg operators

Nigeria Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika say true-true aviation fuel don cost and e dey affect air transport.

But di minister say make di operators look for anoda means to address di mata rather dan suspend flight activities.

E say, im no fit do much because mata wey concern fuel no dey under im ministry.

“While efforts to manage di situation dey on, we wish to appeal to di airline operators, even in di difficult situation, to consider di multiplier effect of shutting down operations, on Nigerians and global travellers, in taking dia business-informed decisions and actions,” e tok for statement by im special assistant on public affairs, Dr James Odaudu.

How strike go affect passengers

Dis no be di first time operators bin plan to take dis kain action. Wen e happun e dey affect air travel.

For March dis year, di operators bin complain about di same aviation fuel but dem no fit reach resolution wit goment and stakeholders for di oil industry.

Earlier dis year, airline operators increase price or air fare by 50%. For instance, a trip of N23,000 before increase to N50,000.

Di operators claim say di increase for di price of tickets na sake of di high cost of aviation fuel.

Air travellers complain wella during dat period but pipo still continue to travel by air.

Wit di latest plan to bin suspend dia business, e no clear weda dem wan increase di price of dia ticket again.

Airport

BBC

Di six airline operators wey bin sign di statement to suspend strike include Abdulmunaf – Managing Director of Azman Air; Shehu Wada – Executive Director of Max Air; and Obiora Okonkwo – Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines.

Odas be Roy Ilegbodu – Chief Executive Officer of Arik Air; Abdullahi Mahmood – Chief Executive Officer of Aero Contractors; and Allen Onyema – Chairman of Air Peace.

Earlier, di Ministry of Aviation bin assured Nigerians say members of AON bin dey review dia decision to withdraw services on Monday, May 9.

Dem bin confam say Ibom Air, Green Africa Airlines, Arik Air, Dana Air, and odas go carry on with dia normal flight schedules.

Oda options for Nigerians wey dey like travel by air

Incidents of insecurity don make some Nigerians avoid travelling by road.

Di recent Kaduna-Abuja train attack by terrorists also neva comot from pipo mind.

If airlines suspend dia operations as planned, Nigerians go begin look for oda means of traveling.

Though Ibom airline don announce say dem no go join di suspension – only dem no go fit cater for all di thousands of travellers wey dey make dia trip by air.

But di remaining alternative go come be di use of private jets or airplane charter.

E get several private jet charter companies for Nigeria wey dey offer those services. Di service dey expensive.

Findings show say, a 40 minute to one hour trip within di kontri, cost up to N2 million ($5,500).

Some pipo fit also do join hire of a private jet wey fit carry specific number of pipo. Dem go share di bill among dem sef.

E neva clear weda di airline suspension go take effect from Monday but pipo don begin reason oda alternatives.