Flight operations at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, were disrupted on Saturday following the unavailability of Jet A1 aviation fuel, affecting Air Peace and other airlines operating from the airport.

Air Peace, in a statement issued by its management yesterday, said the initial delays to its Abuja operations were directly linked to the shortage of aviation fuel at the airport.

The airline stated that its affected flights only commenced operations after Jet A1 became available.

According to Air Peace, although fuel became available and its affected flights subsequently commenced operations, its Abuja-Maiduguri service was unable to operate as scheduled due to another operational constraint.

The airline explained that an extension had initially been granted for the flight, but became untenable by the time the aircraft was ready for boarding because of prevailing Visual Flight Rules (VFR) conditions.

It said the flight could not operate beyond sunset under the prevailing conditions, forcing the airline to cancel the service.

A video that went viral on social media on Saturday, showed frustration encountered by some of the affected passengers as a result of delayed flight.

The airline in the statement, however, said that it kept passengers informed throughout the disruption and provided refreshments while efforts were made to resolve the situation.

Following the cancellation of the Abuja-Maiduguri flight, the airline said affected passengers were provided with hotel accommodation, while arrangements were also made to operate the service the following day.

The statement added: “We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to our esteemed passengers and appreciate their patience and understanding.

“At Air Peace, the safety and wellbeing of our passengers remain paramount, and we will continue to prioritise these considerations in all our operations.”