Despite pleas from aviation stakeholders and seeming cracks amongst them, domestic airlines operators under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, have insisted they will go ahead with the suspension of flight operations with effect from Monday 9th, May. But Dana Air has said it will not join other airlines that jointly endorsed a statement signed by the President of Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, that domestic airlines will suspend flight operations with effect from Monday. A statement from Dana Air management said it will operate it’s normal flights. The statement reads “Following the recent press statement issued by the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), it has become necessary for us to take a stand in the overall interest of our guests, corporate partners, staff and the industry at large.”
” While Dana Air agrees with the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) on all the challenges facing domestic airlines in Nigeria and have on many occasions actively participated in the collective and ongoing engagement of relevant authorities on the urgent need to tackle the many issues domestic airlines have been grappling with which includes the skyrocketing cost of Jet A1, we have taken a decision not to join the suspension of flights on May 9, 2022″. We acknowledge that the present cost of jet A1 is unsustainable and should not be passed to the flying public, we therefore call on the government to act urgently to resolve these unending operational challenges while Dana Air will continue to support every effort by the AON to achieve a quick and peaceful resolution in the interest of our dear country Nigeria.”
“We appreciate and thank our customers once again for choosing to fly with us ,” the airline management said. It will be recalled that stakeholders have appealed to the domestic airlines not to suspend their flight operations because of the hardship it will inflict on the traveling public and the effect on the economy. The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, is one of the stakeholders who appealed to the airlines and promised to help in addressing the aviation fuel current high price.
However a statement issued by the President of AON, Alhaji Abdulmunaf Yunusa Sarina and endorsed by other members, said there is no going back on their decision. The statement said “In the light of frantic developments within the last twenty four hours since informing the general public of our decision to suspend operations in response to the astronomic and continuously rising cost of JetA1, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) would like to state unequivocally that we stand firmly by our decision. Airline operators are patriotic citizens and we are doing all we can to protect the flying public contrary to what some subjective schools of thought might suggest. This is a collective sacrifice for the common interest of our nation. AON however regrets the unfortunate position taken by one of our members, Ibom Air, not to stand by the collective decision. While they may have their reasons for doing what they did, it is pertinent to note that they equally accepted in their statement that the JetA1 situation poses an existential threat to the air transport industry in Nigeria and that the out-of-control situation is simply unsustainable.”
“May we use this medium to clearly state that; “Airlines are not on strike. We are private investors who do not run our airlines with public funds to be able to continue to pay upfront in cash at N700 per litre for JetA1 which has increased our cost on daily basis to about 95%. This is totally unsustainable. And its consequences, if allowed to stay, will be borne by the passengers; which is what we are trying to prevent. To this end therefore, we remain resolute in our resolve to find a lasting solution to this crucial problem of national emergency and once again use this medium to appeal to the conscience of our esteemed passengers for their understanding”, the AON President added.
