Airports Company SA (Acsa) has sounded the alarm over a potential crisis in jet fuel supply as a result of maintenance at a refinery and an industry dispute.
The planned seasonal shutdown of the Natref inland refinery as well as a tax dispute between authorities and petroleum companies could lead to disruptions of fuel supply to airports in the country, the airports management company said in a statement on Thursday.
“The inland refinery, which is also the main source of jet fuel into OR Tambo International Airport, is preparing for its planned temporary shutdown sometime between May and June this year, leading to a greater reliance on imported fuel from Durban,” Acsa added.
During the shutdown jet fuel is supplied via the multi-product pipeline between Durban and Johannesburg, though its use and that of related facilities are at present the subject of a dispute between the SA Petroleum Industry Association (Sapia), SA Revenue Service (Sars) and individual petroleum companies.
Acsa, Sars, and Sapia are finalising the implementation of contingency plans to avert possible fuel shortages, Acsa said.
The Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA) — which represents most airlines in the Southern African Development Community (Sadc), including SA’s FlySafair, Airlink, Lift and SAA — said there was no immediate crisis.
“Currently, there is adequate stock and no cause for concern,” an AASA spokesperson said.
In times of fuel shortages at a major SA airport, domestic airlines and those operating from bases within a flight time radius of two to three hours are usually able to carry additional fuel to the affected airport to have enough left for the return flight, but this is not always possible for long-haul flights, said Linden Birns, MD of technology and transport communications company Plane Talking.
The rerouting of long-haul flights can be complex and expensive, sometimes prohibitively so, he said. “That is when we see some airlines opting to cancel flights when there is uncertainty over fuel availability,” said Birns.
Acsa said some suppliers have already indicated to customers that there will be a reduction in supply and airlines were making plans to deal with the situation.
The most recent fuel shortage to hit SA airports, in 2022, meant some flights were diverted and some cancelled, and in some cases alternative supplies were lined up in neighbouring states.
Serious challenge
However, this led to a marked increase in operational expenses as airlines such as Lufthansa refuelled in Windhoek. With the surge in routes and the number of airlines returning to SA, this is likely to pose a serious challenge to operators if Sars and Sapia fail to reach an agreement over the alleged tax funds owed.
The shutdown of most of SA’s refineries over the past decade has exacerbated the problem of supply, with jet fuel imported now rather than refined from oil.
“While the overall fuel stock levels at OR Tambo International Airport recently dipped below the recommended five days’ cover due to the refinery preparing for the shutdown, the five-day stock holding of fuel provides a buffer to deal with any unforeseen short-term interruptions that may occur in the jet fuel supply chain,” said Acsa.
“At this stage, Acsa is communicating with all parties as they are attempting to resolve these matters.”
With Des Latham
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