The delay in the arrival of jet fuel at Cape Town International Airport is causing problems for some US airlines. Earlier this month, United Airlines canceled a return flight to and from central South Africa. Days before departure, passengers with reservations on the affected flights received the following message:
“Your flight was canceled because we were unable to refuel your aircraft,” the airline said. United added that the flight status may change and said it was working to reaccommodate its customers.
What is causing the jet fuel crisis?
Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) announced in a statement that Cape Town International Airport is experiencing delays due to slow jet fuel delivery times from its supplier. As a result, the airport has to ration the supply of fuel to the airlines; some domestic airlines were rationed 50% of the fuel they normally refuel in Cape Town.
ACSA also requested that the airlines refuel at other airports.
“Cape Town International continues to engage airlines and fuel providers to ensure a reduction in fuel consumption while maintaining operational continuity. This has ensured that flight disruptions are minimized and, to date, [only] an airline has had to cancel its international flight,” says Gopolang Peme, ACSA spokesperson.
“We would like to urge international travelers to arrive at least four hours prior to departure as this will help in their facilitation.”
The rough sea is the cause of the fuel shortage. Therefore, Mother Nature is to blame for the significant delays in the delivery of oil to the port of Cape Town.
Rajesh Dana, Port Manager at the Port of Cape Town said News 24 Business“As a port, we are on high alert and tracking the ship to ensure all resources are ready to receive it when it arrives. The ship will receive berthing priority and we do not anticipate any problems servicing the ship when it arrives.”
What happens next?
The tanker in question finally arrived at the port of Cape Town. However, whether future flights will be affected has yet to be confirmed. As it stands, the airport confirmed fuel reserves for up to four days.
ACSA says that it will continue to work with the airlines to limit the impact on flight operations. This includes the reduction of passenger load.
ACSA is also encouraging Cape Town-bound passengers to monitor updates on the matter.
Related: United Airlines Expands Routes to 40 Destinations in Southern Africa | United Airlines predicts major layoffs if travel doesn’t pick up by fall
