Normal jet fuel supply resumes at Kenya's main airports

Normalcy in supply of jet fuel has resumed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Nairobi, following last week’s shortage at the facility.

Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) says JKIA and Moi International Airport in Mombasa now have sufficient stocks of Jet A-1 fuel to last for at least 11 days following the pumping of 115 million litres into the system last week.

“As of today, we have 26.2 million litres in the KPC Embakasi depot at JKIA. We will receive an additional 32 million litres at the same depot in the next six days as we move to spruce up our stocks,” said Hudson Andambi, KPC acting managing director, in a statement to newsrooms.

“To ensure a steady supply of jet fuel in the days to come, we expect another vessel to deliver an additional 103 million litres of aviation fuel in the Port of Mombasa on March 28,” he added.

Mr Andambi urged oil marketing companies to ensure that such a crisis does not occur again in the future.

Less fuel ordered

KPC last week blamed the shortage on oil marketers who ordered less fuel than the existing demand, hence creating the deficit.

The marketers shipped in 37,000 tonnes of fuel in January despite a request of 60,000.

With a daily consumption rate of about 2.5 million litres, KPC’s JKIA depot has a total capacity of 54 million litres, making it the largest aviation oil depot in the region.

Last week, airlines operating from JKIA were forced to divert to regional airports for fuelling as the commodity neared depletion.

“We issued notice to airlines and they are aware of the jet fuel shortage that we are facing,” said Mr Gilbert Kibe, the KCAA director-general on Thursday last week.

The fuel shortage was blamed on inadequate orders by oil marketing companies that sell directly to airlines.