Rano Air has announced the temporary suspension of some of its flight routes following what it described as an unprecedented increase of over 300 per cent in the cost of Jet A1 aviation fuel.
This was contained in a notice posted on its X (formerly Twitter) page and signed by the airline’s management. The carrier said the sharp rise in fuel prices has made operations on some routes “extremely challenging and commercially unsustainable.”
But a source who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, as the management is yet to take a final decision on some of the routes to be suspended, listed Maiduguri and Gombe as some of the routes that might be suspended.
The airline currently operates Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Kaduna, Katsina, Bauchi, and Osubi routes. The source said, “Definitely more than 50 per cent of the routes might be suspended temporarily, but the management will soon come out with a final statement on the routes.”
In the notice, the airline said the high fuel cost has placed enormous pressure on flight operations and forced the company to take the “difficult but necessary decision” to suspend affected routes temporarily.
Rano Air expressed regret over the inconvenience the decision may cause passengers and business partners, noting that the move was made after careful consideration to ensure safe, reliable, and sustainable operations.
The airline assured customers who had already booked flights on the affected routes that arrangements were being made for refunds, rescheduling, or rerouting. Passengers were advised to contact the airline’s customer service through its dedicated email and telephone lines for assistance.
Rano Air also pledged to resume operations on the affected routes once conditions improve and operations become viable again. The airline thanked passengers for their patience, understanding, and continued support during the challenging period. The statement read:
“Rano Air wishes to inform the general public and our valued passengers that, due to the unprecedented escalation in the cost of Jet A1 aviation fuel by over 300%, the operational cost of sustaining some of our routes has become extremely challenging and commercially unsustainable.”
“This significant increase in fuel prices has greatly impacted the aviation industry and placed enormous pressure on our flight operations. In view of the current situation, Rano Air has taken the difficult but necessary decision to suspend some of our routes temporarily.
“We sincerely regret the inconvenience this may cause to our esteemed passengers and business partners. Please be assured that this decision was made after careful consideration and in the interest of maintaining safe, reliable, and sustainable operations.
“Passengers who have already booked flights on the affected routes are advised that Rano Air will assist with all concerns regarding refunds, rescheduling, or rerouting options.
“Operations on the affected routes will resume as soon as the situation improves and becomes operationally viable for the airline. “Rano Air remains committed to providing quality service to our passengers, and we appreciate your understanding, patience, and continued support during this challenging period.”
Daily Trust reports that domestic airlines have recently cried out over high fuel costs while threatening to suspend flights indefinitely. The planned shutdown was averted following the government’s intervention, but some of the airlines said the situation hasn’t really improved as they still buy fuel at almost N3000 per litre.
The federal government, through the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), recently pegged the jet A1 price at N2039 per litre in Abuja and less in Lagos, but normalcy is yet to return amidst the raging global oil supply disruption due to the ongoing Middle East crisis.