ACSA warns of possible flight disruptions over jet fuel shortages

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) says that a continued strain on jet fuel supply at Cape Town International Airport could impact flight schedules as airlines are encouraged to refill at alternative stops.

The group said that schedules have so far not been impacted by the fuel constraints, but it urged passengers to continuously monitor the situation and keep up to date with the status of their flights.

On Saturday (1 October), ACSA said that it issued a notice to airmen to update airlines on the current state of jet fuel supply to the airport. Cape Town International was scheduled to receive a fresh supply of fuel in early October.

“Regrettably, the airport has received a report from fuel suppliers which revealed further delays pertaining to the delivery of jet fuel to CTIA,” ACSA said.

“ACSA has been working closely with airlines to reduce uplift out of Cape Town, and due to the added risks, has had to introduce further restrictions on fuel uplift to conserve fuel stocks until a new consignment of jet fuel arrives.”

ACSA said it will continue to work with airlines to limit the impact on flight operations, which includes reducing passenger loads; however, based on the current risk assessment report, airlines have been requested to conduct technical stops to uplift fuel at alternative airports.

“ACSA will remain in constant contact with all the affected stakeholders to explore and implement possible mitigating factors to calm the situation and calls on all partners to ensure that passengers are updated with the latest flight schedules.

“Passengers are requested and urged to continuously monitor developments around this issue. ACSA teams are working round the clock to ensure that the public and all affected stakeholders have access to the latest information.”

ACSA’s warnings come after the Airline Association of Southern Africa (AASA) warned last week that the lack of jet fuel at Cape Town International Airport could lead to disruptions in airline schedules and possibly flight cancellations.

AASA said this comes at a time when the industry is already under immense pressure due to operational and cost issues.

“These restrictions are now likely to result in disruptions to airline schedules and possibly cancelled flights at a time when the industry and the economy can ill afford it,” it said.

The group called on government and fuel suppliers to move with urgency and put in place a robust and resilient plan to ensure sufficient stocks of aviation fuel are always available.

Read: Airline association warns of flight disruptions and cancellations due to fuel shortage