- Foreign airlines operating in Nigeria have now started fueling their jets outside amidst higher jet fuel prices.
- According to an article from Reuters, foreign airlines have blamed scarcity of jet fuel and higher prices have made airlines to refuel outside the shores of Nigeria with some going to neighboring Ghana just to refuel their jets.
- The article claims local marketers such as Total, Sahara and ConocoPhillips, have doubled their prices to 220 naira a litre in August, and to as much as 400 naira this month.
- Aviation fuel is largely imported into Nigeria and has been affected by the scarcity of dollars in the country
What airlines are doing
- According to the article, Emirates has started a detour to Accra, Ghana, to refuel its daily Abuja-bound flight. The airline also cut its twice-daily flights to Lagos and Abuja to just one.
- Ghana is said to be a cheaper alternative after tax reforms caused a substantial drop in Ghana’s jet prices
- Air France-KLM is to refuel abroad in “very exceptional cases” by juggling suppliers and stomaching extra costs, Reuters reports.
- Germany’s Lufthansa is loading more fuel in Frankfurt for its Lagos flight, where the ground staff doubt their ability to refuel for the final destination of Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, the article reported.
- The airline did not respond to official requests for comment.
- British Airways is said to have replaced its larger jets for smaller aircraft on its Lagos-London route
- Air France and KLM has also resorted to using smaller airlines.
- Turkish Airlines’ also use smaller planes for its Nigerian route.
- Source Reuters
