Jet fuel has run out at three Colombian airports, in Bogotá the level is critical, warns LATAM. In a statement, Latam Colombia made a press release that the fuel supply for aircraft at the airports of Leticia, Montería and Bucaramanga had run out, materializing the Jet A1 supply crisis, derived from an electrical failure at the Cartagena Refinery on August 16.
However, the carrier established a contingency plan at the beginning of last week (August 16) to manage fuel consumption and thus protect the fulfillment of its schedules.
Ecopetrol, the largest and primary petroleum company Colombia, reported this week a change in the delivery of aviation fuel, otherwise called Jet A1, after the supply was affected by an electrical failure at the Cartagena Refinery on August 16.
As per Ecopetrol, although work began Immediately at the refinery to restart operations after 35 machines were affected, the disruption will cause a shortage of jet fuel and the affected airlines will be those operating in Colombia.
This entity imported 100,000 barrels of JetA1 aviation fuel that will only arrive in the country between August 31 and September 2 of this year.
“As a priority measure to deal with this event, the Ecopetrol Group is carrying out an import operation of 100,000 barrels of Jet A1 aviation fuel , which is expected to arrive in the country in the window from August 31 to September 2, 2024,” Ecopetrol detailed.
Ecopetrol further added that this crisis will lead to an 8% reduction in the delivery of aviation fuel for the month of August , which is why the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said it has been monitoring the situation.
On the other hand, LATAM Colombia reported that it has had to load fuel outside of Colombia for international flights, make adjustments to its operations, monitor flight by flight and evaluate consumption for each airport in the country.
The statement also noted that,
"the airline industry, through IATA, is working together with Aerocivil, the Superintendency of Transport, the Ministry of Mines and Energy, and Ecopetrol to monitor the situation and define complementary actions to mitigate the contingency while the imported fuel arrives, and thus reduce the possible impacts on our passengers."
According to Santiago Álvarez, CEO of LATAM Airlines Colombia,
“it is essential to evaluate structural measures such as allowing the importation of Jet A, establishing clear mechanisms for allocating imported fuel, evaluating the feasibility of increasing the production capacity of refineries, among others, which in the medium and long term offer better tools to face contingencies like this one where the most affected would be our passengers.”
Display Picture : YouTripReport
