Concerns about another jet fuel shortage at OR Tambo airport

The Airports Company of South Africa (Acsa) on Sunday said risk mitigation measures are being taken to prevent the disruption of jet fuel supply to O.R. Tambo International Airport (ORTIA).

Acsa warns of fuel shortage at OR Tambo airport

This comes after a fire at a refinery of the National Petroleum Refiners of South Africa (NATREF)  on 4 January 2025.

“The fuel industry has been told that the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) damaged by the fire is expected to be back online by 21 February 2025,” Acsa said.

Acsa said it has jet fuel reserves at ORTIA that will last until 20 January.

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It also said the mitigation measures being taken by the Fuels Industry Association of South Africa include:

• Scheduled fuel deliveries: A jet fuel delivery of 17 000 cubic metres is expected to arrive at the airport by Sunday, 12 January.
• Pipeline injection: A planned injection of 31 000 cubic metres from Durban is set for Tuesday, 14 January, with delivery to ORTIA expected by 27 January.
• Increased rail deliveries: Rail deliveries from Durban and Matola, in Mozambique, are being prioritised, with additional capacity available to support increased jet fuel volumes.
• Alternative fuel sourcing: Sourcing fuel from other airports and direct injections to NATREF.

OR Tambo airport may run out of fuel

Despite this, Acsa said more action needs to be taken to prevent a jet fuel shortage between 20 January and 27 January.

“The Fuel Industry Association of Southern Africa (FIASA) and NATREF are collaborating with industry partners, including Acsa, to develop solutions by Tuesday, 14 January 2025. The primary focus is to ensure the continuous availability of jet fuel at ORTIA,” it said.

“Airlines, passengers, and all stakeholders are assured that all necessary steps are being taken to maintain normal airport operations and guarantee a secure and uninterrupted fuel supply.”

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Acsa said it will continue to monitor the situation and provide an update on Tuesday, 14 January 2025.

Previous fuel shortages at OR Tambo airport

The latest concern of airport fuel shortages comes after around 70% of national flights were delayed on 9 December 2024.

Passengers at OR Tambo International Airport were left stranded when airlines were unable to refuel aircraft as normal.

The refuelling issues at ORTIA then led to passengers at other airports across the country being unable to catch their flights. The reason for this was that planes were stuck in Johannesburg.

The backlog of flights led to some airlines having to delay or cancel their schedules flights.

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