New fuel found after supply contamination

A worker fills an aircraft with aviation fuel.

A worker fills an aircraft with aviation fuel.

Published Nov 16, 2012

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The Airports Company SA is finding alternate aviation fuel supplies on Friday to replace the approximately seven million litres in storage found to be contaminated.

“Today (Friday) airports are operating normally. There are no issues,” spokesman Solomon Makgale said.

On Thursday he said Acsa had been advised by the Fuel Consortium that the fuel line between the National Petroleum Refiners of SA's refinery in Sasolburg and the airport had been contaminated with “off-specification Jet A-1” fuel.

Therefore instead of having its usual four-day supply, the company was left with enough for 1.6 days.

He said that on Thursday evening, Acsa agreed with airlines that they would use fuel from their stations. Meetings with suppliers were taking place on Friday to see if more could be done.

“People must come to the airport, it is running,” he said.

Any changes to the situation would be announced. It appeared the contamination was detected before the fuel got into aircraft. Suppliers would look into how it happened.

The airport normally received about three million litres of fuel a day through the dedicated pipeline from Natref.

The airport served around 17 million domestic and international passengers a year. - Sapa

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