Fuel shortage in FACT

[GormanInkarnati]

Heard on the news that there is a fuel shortage in Cape Town this morning.

Several flights stranded or cancelled.

"Eish...... how.....you mean we have to monitor the fuel levels and order when it gets low???"

GI

[Latent Heat]

Sounds like someone somewhere is going to be in kak.

We have had two operators from FACT call us this morning needing to borrow some fuel.....

Are we heading in the same direction as ZIM????

[Goldfish Jack]

Yes it is true - ACSA has once again allowed the airport to run out of fuel. They are blaming Chevron, saying that one consignement was contaminated.

Sure - but then you go into reserves - clearly this is something that is not happening here at FACT!

The rumour started on Wed about shortages, but ACSA denied it, until 8am this morning when they phoned the airlines to say they are running low - at 9am they phoned to say they have no fuel.

There is not even fuel for the firefighting helicopters, so the fires will continue unabated in the howling wind.


BA has had to cancel to-nights flight as it does not even have fuel in tanks to get to FAUP to re-fuel. LH can make FAUP and will refuel there before going onto Europe. Dont know about SAA.

Comair had to cancel 2 flights out of FACT this morning.

Isn't the incompetence of ACSA amazing?? At the height of the busy season, the runway collapses, there are not enough immigration officials and now there is no fuel.

We are not in a 3rd world country - we are FIRMLY in a 4th world one and I am trying to stay positive, Guns!!!!

What is going on ACSA - it is time management spoke up and told us the truth.


We are now firmly in Africa and wait until 2010 - I recommend FIFA withdraw the final now before it is too late.

[Cessnafan]

Not enough immigration officials? Dont you mean not enough immigration officials at their counter where they supposed to be but instead lurking elswhere in the building watching tv or something!

[beechbum]

Umm sounds like Zimbobwe is getting closer and closer!!!
When do they hope to have fuel supplies back? Have a CT flight tomorrow.......could do with a Sunday at home!!!!

[MysticFlyer]

I'm not saying a word further..................Good. Stick to the Campfire Mystic. Unless you have a contribution to make. I am receiving an increasing number of complaints from members tired of you hijacking threads. Rant over. 4HP

[Goldfish Jack]

I knowairlines are strugglingto make aprofit at the moment, but ACSA inefficiency and unreliability of their systems and their airports sure must make it hell for the airlines to run properly.

ACSA have finally fixed their ILS on runway 01 = which it means it is back to CAt3B until the next cold front and rain passes here again.

It is high time someone in the government took hold of ACSA and reminded them that their core business is actually the handling of aircrat, not trying to rip of the public with fancy shops and business parks and exhorbitant car parking fees.

Come on ACSA lets get back to business and put the airports up where they should be!

[Gunship]

I could not find Diesel for my trokkie in my own village (close to CT Int) on Sunday as well :{

[SAA201]

It was interesting to see how the various airlines coped with the fuel restrictions at FACT yesterday and this morning. Not too sure about this afternoon/evening flights.

Yesterday SAA sent their London flight via Windhoek and this morning's Frankfurt flight via Jo'burg; Lufhansa and LTU's flights went via Upington; Virgin went via Lagos. :ouch:

British Airways very strangely filed to send their already very delayed flight from Cape Town to Upington (for fuel) and back again to CPT without pax, then non-stop to London. Goldfishjack (or anyone else), any idea why BA elected to do this rather than load the pax and fly direct to London from Upington like Lufty and LTU did?:confused: I CAN'T imagine that runway length would be a limiting factor at Upington?!!!

SAA and Nationwide (i think) were sending their CPT-JNB flights via PE cause George and Bloem are apparently out of fuel too! :hmm:

[Tailspin2001]

With BA I am pretty certain it is because the cabin crew can not do 2 sectors if the second one is a long range flight. In the past if you did a diversion outbound from LHR they would get off but a rule change allowed them to do 2 sectors if it was within their hours but it was never changed for inbound to LHR.

I recall that not very long ago BA were flying aircraft up to JNB and back to CPT just to get fuel so this is not the first occasion of a fuel shortage @ FACT

ACSA seemed to be unable to run CPT with any sort of reliability.

I think Upington is more than long enough.

[SAA201]

Thank's for the reply Tailspin2001, your theory could well be the reason.

I actually intended to write my comment about Upington's runway NOT been the factor for the routing as it is, as we all know, one of the longest this side of the equator!

I've fixed that typing error in my previous post now!!! :=

[flyboy2]

CT airport fuel 'back on tap'2005-12-11 19:09:41--
Fuel is again available at Cape Town International Airport, after tanks ran dry causing airlines and passengers major inconvenience.
Cape Town - Fuel is again available to aircraft at Cape Town International Airport, Kader Jacobs, the supply logistics manager aviation at BP said on Sunday.
He said fuel became available on the apron at 17:30.

But Jacobs called on airlines to keep their contingency plans in place for another three or four days to allow the airport fuel farm to build up a reserve.

Tanks ran dry on Saturday causing airlines and passengers major inconvenience - Arts and Culture minister Pallo Jordan apparently suffering a delay of six hours on a flight to Johannesburg.

The problem arose when fuel - sufficient for several days - about to be shipped to the airport was found to have been wrongly blended and could not be used until re-refined.

The Chevron refinery has been shipping 40 000l of fuel to the airport every 20 minutes since Sunday morning to fill four giant half-a-million litre tanks.

But once filled, each tank has to stand two hours for the fuel to settle and before anything can be pumped into waiting aircraft.

The content of the tank has to pass stringent tests to ensure it meets airline industry specifications.

For that reason all efforts were directed at filling one tank.

Jacobs said the tankers would run through the night to fill the others - and keep them filled.

He was concerned at the ability of Chevron to sustain its production levels, noting it was putting out fuel equal to the demand - hence his call for airlines to help conserve fuel in the Cape.

Colin McClelland, director of the SA Petroleum Industry Association, added that Chevron seemed to be suffering teething trouble in starting up.

Chevron was to have resumed full production in mid November. Nearly a month later, they were yet to get there.

"As a result fuel supplies (in Cape Town) became stressed," McClelland said.

SAA spokesperson Sarah Uys earlier in the afternoon said the airline had obtained 320 000 litres of fuel, or about 80 metric tons, and were rationing this at 3 metric tons per domestic flight.

Their Cape to London flight was being re-routed via Johannesburg to pick up more fuel.

Jordaan said the London flight would arrive at its destination an hour late as a result of the conversion, but their other flights were largely on time and on schedule.

Jordaan said SAA would be flying down its own fuel until Tuesday when he hoped supply would be back to normal.

The fuel industry members held a crisis meeting on Saturday to address jet fuel and petrol shortages.

On Saturday McClelland said problems with the availability of petrol and diesel were also being experienced throughout the country.

"We will make sure that national road service stations will have petrol over the festive season so that people going on holiday won't get stuck."

He added that fuel would be imported from overseas wherever necessary.

News24/SAPA
.

[SAA201]

Their Cape to London flight was being re-routed via Johannesburg to pick up more fuel.

Jordaan said the London flight would arrive at its destination an hour late as a result of the conversion, but their other flights were largely on time and on schedule.


Conversion??? :confused: Aren't the pilots current on type? :)

I guess that should have read DIVERSION!!!! ;)

[Gauteng Pilot]

Can anyone explain how missing one shipment could lead to dry tanks in CPT

Shurely you dont wait till the tanks are just about dry before you get a shipment, or is this the ACSA way ??

[Solid Rust Twotter]

If holders of degrees in Underwater Basket Weaving and Yoghurt Knitting are placed in these positions, rather than technical engineering types, this is to be expected.:hmm:

Political appointees, like retarded brothers-in-law, are usually not the best folks to run your business.:E

[beechbum]

Ha! Ha! Solid Rust Twotter good one..........how right you are.
Eish the petrel is feeeneeshed!!!!:E :E
Man you gotta love it!!!!

[Gunship]

I can not recall in 20 years of flying in SA that I ever had no fuel at any airport .. from Messina to Cape Town to Umtata.

AFB HOED ran short once ... I think Real Orca was in the circuit for a week maybe in his vlamgat but other than that ... NEVER !

Eischhh the new SA.

[BAKELA]

Gunss, being a bit harsh on the Vis lately! Don't blame CG's pip on Vis...but then again...! What can I say...the bigger the waste of chopper fuel the bigger the....? Suppose can't use the word jet on this forum can I??? With a certain Driver around...nothing to do with golf either.

Anyway, back to serious stuff. Heard the A1 Grand Prix in Durbs in Jan 2006 will be a "Kaskar" race. Apparently no fuel for aircraft in Jo'burg planned, drive the A1 cars to Durbs (check the cops on this one! :E ) and then no fuel in Durbs...the teams gotta push them around the circuit. Sounds a lot like FACT. I also believe the Gautrain is to be replaced by Rickshas (spelling?) for the 2010 world cup.

[Deanw]

Airlines set to sue fuel firms

Businesses hit hard by shortage

December 13, 2005

By Staff Reporter

At least two airlines are considering legal action against petrol firms over the fuel crisis which left passengers stranded at the weekend. SA Airways was to release provisional loss figures today.

SAA and Nationwide said they were considering litigation against petrol companies after supplies of aviation fuel ran dry at Cape Town International Airport on Saturday, causing widespread flight cancellations and delays.

The problem was caused by the delivery of a batch of substandard fuel by Chevron Refinery.

The general shortage of fuel, including aviation fuel, petrol and diesel, has been blamed on technical problems arising from the closure of the country's six refineries for upgrading ahead of the conversion to cleaner fuels from January 1.

Most of the country's refineries are now back in operation, but Chevron in Milnerton is still struggling to get up and running, making the Western Cape the worst-affected area.

The shortage has also been blamed on an increase in demand prompted by a recent petrol price drop.

The Minerals and Energy Department claimed the situation had been brought under control by yesterday, in spite of reports that the shortage was continuing to hit motorists.

A petroleum industry spokesman said shortages at some petrol stations were the result of panic buying.

Construction and transport companies in the province were still bearing the brunt of fuel shortages, but operations at Cape Town International Airport were back to normal, said Deidre Hendricks, spokeswoman for the Airports Company of South Africa.

The effects of the shortage are hitting companies hard.

Yesterday, 40% of vehicles at Bradis Earthworks and Demolition in Airport Industria were unable to operate.

The company's Bradley Hardman said: "This is crazy. I need to fill up 20 trucks and I have no diesel. How am I expected to run a business?"

Faaiz Majiet, operations manager at Stuttaford Van Lines, said they were running on a limited amount of fuel and had made logistical changes in order to meet deadlines.

Yesterday Minerals and Energy Affairs Minister Lindiwe Hendricks called the heads of fuel companies to a meeting in Pretoria and lambasted them for poor planning. She was also angry that they had reneged on an agreement to stockpile a month-long supply of fuel.

A levy of a couple of cents a litre goes to the fuel firms to enable them to stockpile supplies. After the meeting, however, Hendricks said: "We believe the situation is under control."

SA Petroleum Industry Association director Colin McClelland said demand, prompted by public fears, was resulting in petrol stations running dry.

Explaining the background to the crisis, he said: "The bad planning was not about the cleaner fuels exercise but in planning for stockpiling imports during the change-over.

"All refineries had to shut down to make significant changes to equipment to produce the cleaner fuel.

"While they were switched off they were not producing anything and so had arranged to import from the Middle East.

"They said they would be up and running by November 15 so had stockpiled imported fuel up to November 20. But the refineries are not all up and running, and they haven't arranged imports because they assumed they would be running properly."

Emergency supplies were now being delivered by tankers at sea.
Cape Argus

[Goldfish Jack]

Hey Guns

HOED short of fuel - with Real Orca in the circuit - must have been a big heavy one at that!!!!!!!!!!!!! hahahah

What a waste of chopper fuel!!!!!

By the way, the whale has been very quiet - have not heard him for ages - must be in hibernation

Sker sends regards

As to the BA flights - they have several crews laying over here and they just use a cockpit crew to take the aircraft up to FAUP/JS to refuel - save on duty time for the flight later and also logistically much easier should the a/c go AOG at FAUP with 400 people on it!!!!!!!!!

Has UP got 400 hotel rooms there??

[B Sousa]

Just a bit of history and Chevron. Back in the 80s, they sold a bad batch of AVGAS in California and bought a bunch of airplane engines as a result. Mine was one of them.
I will say that they did go above and beyond to correct the problem.....

[MysticFlyer]

Yes if only we in SA had fuel offshore or anywhere, we could've built places like.....

SASOL 1,2,3....certain things one should never sell....ever, like pik is a good source of mineral & energy affairs.

Makes one stink, doesn't it?

[samueldethierry]

South African Airways, British Airways and Nationwide are proud to announce that their schedules are up an running from Cape Town however there is now a fuel shortage at London Heathrow!!!!!!

Can it get any worse?

[orgasmotron]

This is getting too much confusing;

RWY 19
ILS Intermittend
Hole in RWY
No Fuel.
Immigration not at duty stations.
Security searches when crew leaves airport.

This could easily be the lovely West African Metropolis of Lagos.

Dankie tog for the mountain and ATC accent or we would really be confused. Goldfish may be able to help - talk with a mouth full and let go of the ptt halfway through the tx and the Lagos chaps will realy feel at home.