Nigeria Runs out of Jet Fuel

Abuja – A shortage of aviation fuel in Nigeria has caused airlines to cancel or delay hundreds of domestic flights over the past week while British Airways planes are stopping in neighbouring Benin to refuel.

Airports have been crammed with passengers desperate to get onto flights and some airlines have resorted to changing their routes at the last minute according to fuel availability

A Reuters reporter who boarded a flight from Lagos to the capital Abuja instead ended up in Kano, 400km further north. Passengers were informed of the change of route while the plane was already taxiing towards the runway.

A conference on aviation in Abuja has also been affected. Delegates arrived late on the first day because of flight problems, while the chief executive of sponsor airline Virgin Nigeria was unable to make it because of “urgent operational matters”.

Reuters