Airport Reporters

  Impact of aviation fuel crisis on our operations  By ...Aniekan Essienette The fuel price situation is an unprecedented crisis for Nigeria’s domestic airlines. At Ibom Air, the cost of fueling our aircraft has more than tripled between January and today. From an average of N2.1m per flight in January, as at today, the 26th of April, we are paying approximately N7.6m to fuel every flight. This is a more than 350% increase since the beginning of March, a space of just 7 weeks! And our aircraft are some of the most fuel efficient in the domestic market.  At this point, domestic airlines are baffled at why the price of aviation fuel in Nigeria has ballooned to this level, way above the rest of the world, while the fuel marketers obtain 95% or more of their aviation fuel from Dangote Refinery. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that a combination of competitive pressures and patriotism have prevented a commensurate increase in our fares, meaning that we and our fe...

  Institute canvass roadmap for economic development  The Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria (ISPON), has canvassed a roadmap for the country's economic development insisting that employers of labour in both public and private sector place higher premium on the r psycho- social elements of the working environment. The safety regulatory body said the roadmap has become imperative in line with the global trends where employers are increasingly shifting from traditional physical hazard mitigation toward the more complex, pervasive, and often invisible challenges of the psycho - social working environment. Chairman of the ISPON's  Lagos Branch , Mr Olusola Ogunleye , who disclosed this at a briefing at the weekend said , there is an call to action for the organized private sector, the public sector, the informal industry, and all key stakeholders to institutionalize psychosocial safety as a fundamental pillar of sustainable economic growth. He said  the psycho ...

 Jet A-1 Crisis: Stop Scapegoating Air Peace for a Global Aviation Problem By Fred Chukwuelube  There is a renewed and rather orchestrated onslaught against Air Peace over the current shortage of aviation fuel (Jet A-1). Let’s be clear from the outset: this is not a crisis created by one airline, nor is it peculiar to Nigeria. It is a global aviation challenge driven by supply constraints, price volatility, and persistent disruptions in the fuel value chain as a result of the Middle East crisis. In Nigeria, airlines are contending with limited access to Jet A-1, escalating costs, and unpredictable supply cycles. Smaller carriers, with fewer aircraft and limited schedules, may be able to secure just enough fuel to operate select flights. Air Peace, as the largest airline in the country with a far wider network and significantly higher daily operations, inevitably feels the strain more intensely. Scale, in this case, is not an advantage; it is a vulnerability. What is both baffl...

 Union leader condemns presidential waiver to airlines  .. Says airlines are debtors  The recent grant of 30% debt relief to airlines in the country by President Tinubu has been condmned by a front line labour leader in the country's aviation industry accusing the airlines of violating the remittance Act  Reacting to the debt relief, the General Secretary of the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) Comrade AbdulRasaq Saidu, accused domestic airlines of non remittance of 5% passenger ticket sales charge collected from travelling passengers on behalf of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority but failed to remit to the agency.  Saidu said it is criminal to hold on to the fund haven collected it from passengers saying that the union will never support any waiver that all money being fraudulently owed NCAA from the 5% must be paid "Aviation Workers shall protest and resist any waiver of public funds to any Airline. How should money of 5% of ticket sold ...

 ValueJet Wins Most Passenger-Friendly Domestic Airline Award at 15th NIGAV Awards ValueJet has been honoured with the Most Passenger-Friendly Domestic Airline Award at the 15th edition of the Nigeria Aviation (NIGAV) Awards, reinforcing its growing reputation for customer-focused service and operational excellence within Nigeria’s aviation industry. The prestigious NIGAV Awards ceremony, held in Lagos, brought together key stakeholders across the aviation ecosystem, including regulators, airline operators, airport authorities, and industry professionals, to celebrate outstanding contributions to the growth and development of the sector. ValueJet’s recognition in the passenger-friendly category reflects its consistent commitment to delivering a seamless travel experience, with a strong emphasis on comfort, reliability, affordability, and service quality across its expanding domestic and regional network. Speaking on the achievement, the Managing Director and Accountable Officer of ...

  Stakeholders launch N500 million endowment fund to secure aviation finance professionalism  Stakeholders in the aviation sector have launched a N500 million endowment fund to secure the future of aviation finance professionalism. The launch was part of the digital  transformation , which took centre stage as catalyst for revenue optimisation in Nigeria's aviation sector as the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria ( ICAN) Aviation chapter marked its first anniversary. Chairman of the occasion, Amb. Comfort Eyitayo, described the Chapter’s one-year milestone as a clear sign of purpose and growing influence, stressing that the intersection of aviation and accounting demands precision, accountability and strict adherence to standards.  Speaking on the theme: "Digital transformation as a catalyst for revenue optimisation in Nigeria's aviation sector", she noted that digitalization is no longer optional but central to modern aviation operations, urging professio...

  Tinubu approves 30% debt waiver for local airlines  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a 30 percent  discount on outstanding statutory fees owed by domestic airlines to aviation agencies. The intervention , which has received industry wide commendation has been described  as a  decisive move aimed at alleviating operational pressures within Nigeria’s aviation sector. The relief, which is contained in a statement by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development,Mr Festus Keyamo covers accumulated debts including parking charges payable to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), navigational charges owed to the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), as well as other regulatory obligations. The  intervention, Keyamo said  comes as part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to cushion the impact of the ongoing Jet A1 fuel crisis, which has significantly increased operating costs for domestic carriers. Keyamo, disclosed tha...