Colombia has been facing a fuel shortage crisis since last week when Cartagena’s refinery (Reficar) experienced an electric failure that impacted the delivery of Jet A1 fuel to airports such as Leticia, Monteria, and Bucaramanga, the newspaper Semana reported. Bogotá is also reported to have a critical shortage.
To address these issues, carriers such as LATAM Airlines Colombia and avianca airlines have announced contingency plans to manage fuel consumption and ensure the fulfilment of their schedules. Additionally, the Latin American & Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) has urged the Colombian government and fuel providers to guarantee the equal distribution of fuel and avoid imbalances in the market that ultimately impact travellers.
Frederico Pedreira, chief executive of Avianca Group, said: "This situation highlights the need for actors in the supply chain to anticipate and coordinate better to have clarity in inventories and fuel availability.” Santiago Álvarez, chief executive of LATAM Airlines Group’s branch in Colombia said it was essential to evaluate structural measures that offer better tools to address contingencies like this one.
Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, weighed in by saying there was no shortage, only an “irregular activity that is already under investigation.” The country’s largest petroleum company, Ecopetrol, said in a statement that it had secured the import of 100,000 barrels of jet fuel, which will be arriving in Colombia in the coming days, “thus projecting compliance with the legal minimum of 95% of jet supply by the end of August, including production at the Cartagena and Barrancabermeja refineries.” Additionally, Ecopetrol activated a work plan to guarantee the supply of fuel to all market segments, it said.
The South American country has about 52 departures and landings each hour, with an average consumption of over 1 million fuel gallons per day, said ALTA. The association is urging the Colombian government to allow the import of Jet A fuel, which would increase competition, reduce costs, and improve fuel availability.
ch-aviation has contacted Clic (Colombia) and Satena for comment, while Wingo (Colombia) and JetSMART Colombia said they do not have public statements on the issue at the moment. Wingo said its operations had not been impacted.
