Cape Town - The jet fuel shortage nightmare for passengers flying in and out of Cape Town International airport looks set to end soon following an announcement by Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) of an increase in jet fuel reserves at the airport.
The shortage had been caused by rough seas delaying an oil tanker’s delivery of the product to the port, which in turn led to the imposition of rationing and the cancellation over the weekend of a scheduled flight by American carrier United Airlines from Newark, New Jersey, to Cape Town.
The tanker carrying fuel has successfully docked and ACSA spokesperson Gopolang Peme said: “Once tests have been successfully run the jet fuel will then be pumped into the refinery.”
Yesterday, CTIA management met with airlines and requested a reduction in the uplift of fuel, which has allowed the airport to now have up to 4.5 days of fuel reserves.
Peme said: “The airport’s management together with airlines have ensured that there are very few flight disruptions, and to date, only one airline has had to cancel an international flight.”
At the same time CTIA management has urged travellers, especially those travelling internationally, to arrive at least four hours prior to departure in a bid to assist the airport facilitate travel.
The Radisson Hotel Group senior development director Daniel Trappler addressed fears Cape Town’s tourism industry ran the risk of being set back in its recovery by load shedding issues which were also partially affected by the fuel shortage.
Trappler said load shedding had placed an additional burden on South Africa’s ability to recover at the same rate as the rest of Africa
He said: “Despite there being no lights or flights for Capetonians, we are optimistic that these setbacks won’t undo the progress made by the industry and remain confident about the recovery of the sector.”