Importation cause of constant hike in price of JetA1
The General Manager, Total Energies Nigeria, Mr Rabiu Abdulmutalib, has attributed increased in price of JetA1 to continuous importation of the product among others.
Abdulmutalib made this known in a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday.
Jet A-1 is an aviation turbine fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines.
The most commonly used fuels for commercial aviation are Jet A and Jet A-1, which are produced to a standardised international specification.
The general manager noted that a litre of aviation fuel in the domestic scene was sold as high as N305 and N315 per litre, depending on the airport an airline was buying from.
Abdulmutalib added that the inability of airline operators to have easy access to foreign exchange and airport taxes of the product among others had also attributed to the skyrocketing price of the product in the country.
“The inability of local refineries to refine the product locally, high investment in logistics and high cost of aviation fuel handling equipment like refuellers.
“Others are the hydrant dispenser/servicers and filtration systems are also contributed to the sordid situation in the local market.
“To address the current situation, I want to canvass for proper coordination among relevant government agencies in monitoring and enforcement of all standards along the supply chain.
“Some of the agencies included the Department of Petroleum Resources, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
“Others are the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), amongst others,” he said.
Abdulmutalib added that unless the aformentioned challenges were resolved, the prices of the products would continue to rise in the country.
He also urged government agencies to adhere strictly to establish international and local regulations in handling JET A1 from refinery to aircraft to avoid contamination of the products.
The petroleum expert, therefore, canvassed for proper coordination among relevant government agencies in monitoring and enforcement of all standards along the supply chain.
He said this would further checked the competencies and capacities of laboratories contracted for testing parameters of the product in the country.
Abdulmutalib also appealed for government intervention for easy access to forex especially aviation fuel importers.
He called for national sensitisation and awareness on monitor filtration phase out from all aviation handling systems in the country before the deadline of July 2023.