Nigeria Aviation News Headlines for Thursday December 15, 2016
This issue of aviation fuel scarcity has lingered for too long! No matter how prepared airlines are to meet the travel demands of this season, without adequate supply of aviation fuel more passengers will be left stranded.
Find the headlines before and follow the links to read the full stories.
Air Passengers Stranded as Aviation Fuel Scarcity Bites Harder Nationwide
Air passengers in Nigeria are stranded at airports nationwide, as airline operators jostle for aviation fuel, amidst scarcity that is getting worse.
On Tuesday, the passengers, some of whom were on transit, waited endlessly for the departure hall. While few were lucky to later travel, others were later informed that their scheduled flights had been cancelled.
Aviation fuel, otherwise called Jet-A1, is a specialised type of petroleum-based fuel used to power aircraft and normally accounts for over 30 per cent of operation cost of an airline.
Buhari Promises Quick Completion of Four Airport Terminals
President Muhammadu Buhari has assured that most of the stalled projects in the aviation industry will soon resume and be completed in record time.
He particularly mentioned four of the terminals under construction at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and the Port-Harcourt Airport.
The President made the disclosure Wednesday at the presentation of 2017 ‘Budget of Recovery and Growth’ before a joint sitting of the National Assembly.
The four terminals constructed by China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) at Abuja, Kano, Lagos and Port Harcourt airports can no longer be delivered this year due to some noticeable technical deficiencies.
According to the President: “Consequently, work has resumed on a number of stalled infrastructure projects such as the construction of new terminals at the country’s four major airports; numerous major road projects; key power transmission projects; and the completion of the Kaduna-Abuja railway to mention a few.”
Nigerians to Pay More for International Passport
The Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Mr. Muhammad Babandede yesterday said Nigerians would now have to pay more for their international passports.
According to him, the hike in fees was necessitated by the high cost of producing the booklets abroad, which had become unsustainable and uncompetitive under the current dispensation.
Babandede made the disclosure at the flag off of a capacity development programme for 500 immigration officers on ICT organised by the NIS in conjunction with Huawei Technologies in Abuja.
He said it had become increasingly difficult for the immigration service to pay for the passport booklets outside the country because of the fall in value of the naira.
“You will agree with me that air tickets have doubled, you are also aware that a lot of things have changed, but the passport fees have not changed. We cannot afford to service these passports with the current charges,” he said.
Comments
Post a Comment