Jet fuel squeeze at OR Tambo Airport
Supply disruptions
The supply of jet fuel to other airports across the country remains steady and there is sufficient product available.
CARIN SMITH
Jet fuel may be in short supply at OR Tambo International Airport in the next few days, with US carrier United Airlines already having scrapped some flights over the weekend due to the local shortage of fuel.
On Tuesday, the South African Petroleum Industry Association (SAPIA) warned that movement of jet fuel is challenging at the moment due to the impact of the recent floods in KwaZulu-Natal. Rail deliveries have been paused as a result of extensive damage to railway lines.
“This is posing a risk to the supply of product to OR Tambo International Airport in the coming days,” SAPIA said in a statement on Tuesday.
It confirmed that jet fuel stocks at OR Tambo are “low but not critical” and could still, for the moment, accommodate current demand. About three days’ worth of stock was still available on Monday.
But it is looking at alternatives to supply jet fuel to OR Tambo and to mitigate the risk of running out of stock there. The supply of jet fuel to other airports across the country remains steady and there is sufficient product available, SAPIA said.
Not all the airlines use the same fuel supplier, so they are not all equally impacted.
According to United Airlines’ website, its next flight - from Newark in the US to Johannesburg on 27 April - has not been cancelled.
A reliable source told Fin24 earlier that some international airlines might arrange to refuel at other African destinations on their return flights until the constraints at OR Tambo are resolved.
OR Tambo faced a similar fuel crunch at the end of March, when at one point the stock was down to 1.6 days’ levels. According to correspondence seen by Fin24 at the time, one of the fuel suppliers alerted an airline to make sure it fills up at its regional hub before it flew to OR Tambo as there was no guarantee that there will be enough fuel for its return flight. - Fin24
Jet fuel may be in short supply at OR Tambo International Airport in the next few days, with US carrier United Airlines already having scrapped some flights over the weekend due to the local shortage of fuel.
On Tuesday, the South African Petroleum Industry Association (SAPIA) warned that movement of jet fuel is challenging at the moment due to the impact of the recent floods in KwaZulu-Natal. Rail deliveries have been paused as a result of extensive damage to railway lines.
“This is posing a risk to the supply of product to OR Tambo International Airport in the coming days,” SAPIA said in a statement on Tuesday.
It confirmed that jet fuel stocks at OR Tambo are “low but not critical” and could still, for the moment, accommodate current demand. About three days’ worth of stock was still available on Monday.
But it is looking at alternatives to supply jet fuel to OR Tambo and to mitigate the risk of running out of stock there. The supply of jet fuel to other airports across the country remains steady and there is sufficient product available, SAPIA said.
Not all the airlines use the same fuel supplier, so they are not all equally impacted.
According to United Airlines’ website, its next flight - from Newark in the US to Johannesburg on 27 April - has not been cancelled.
A reliable source told Fin24 earlier that some international airlines might arrange to refuel at other African destinations on their return flights until the constraints at OR Tambo are resolved.
OR Tambo faced a similar fuel crunch at the end of March, when at one point the stock was down to 1.6 days’ levels. According to correspondence seen by Fin24 at the time, one of the fuel suppliers alerted an airline to make sure it fills up at its regional hub before it flew to OR Tambo as there was no guarantee that there will be enough fuel for its return flight. - Fin24
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