The Department of Transport has announced that the fuel industry and its stakeholders have secured the 121.1 million litres of jet fuel needed for OR Tambo International Airport.

This supply will last until the National Petroleum Refiners of South Africa (NATREF) refinery reopens at the end of February.

The announcement follows an urgent meeting convened by the Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy, on Friday with fuel industry stakeholders to address jet fuel shortages.

The meeting was attended by Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), the Fuel Industry Association of South Africa, and Sasol. It focused on resolving fuel shortages that threatened to disrupt flight operations at OR Tambo in February.

The anticipated shortages arose from the shutdown of the NATREF refinery after a fire on January 4. This forced some airlines to secure fuel from Windhoek, King Shaka International Airport, and other destinations, causing significant inconvenience to passengers and crew.

On Monday, the fuel industry informed ACSA that it had secured 50 million litres of jet fuel from various suppliers. By Friday, an additional 71.1 million litres had been secured, bringing the total to 121.1 million litres. This fuel will be imported through the Port of Durban via three vessels expected to arrive on Saturday and February 10.

“The meeting agreed that all parties will work on a logistics plan to ensure the imported fuel supply moves from the Port of Durban to OR Tambo in time for airline needs,” the Department of Transport said in a statement.

An update on these logistics plans will be presented to the minister on Friday.

“Parties agreed it is necessary to build a fuel reserve to serve as a critical safety buffer for unforeseen circumstances such as delays, diversions, or unexpected changes in flight conditions,” the department added. In this regard, ACSA will engage the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources and its entities.

The minister expressed her appreciation to passengers, businesses, and stakeholders for their patience during this period of ‘unforeseen difficulty’ and apologised for the inconvenience caused. – SAnews.gov.za