Jet fuel shortage in Dakar: airlines must ensure their own fuel supply

Dakar Blaise Diagne international airport is hit by a shortage of kerosene due to “an unfavourable international situation”. Its operator is calling on the airlines that land there to ensure their own fuel supply for return flights.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine on 24 February, oil prices have soared on world markets.

“The kerosene supply system is severely disrupted because of an unfavourable international situation combined with unprecedented tensions on the prices of certain raw materials“, indicates a press release from the airport.

The Aviation Fuel Handling Company (SMCady), owned by several foreign oil groups, indicates for its part that “aircraft refuelling operations will no longer be able to continue from Wednesday, April 20, 2022” at noon, “for a provisional period of two weeks“.

Faced with this situation, the airport, whose operation the Senegalese State has entrusted to two Turkish companies, Limak and Summa, calls on air carriers to “take the necessary measures (…) to ensure fuel autonomy return flights“.

The national company Air Senegal wanted to reassure its customers on Tuesday. It announces in a press release the “normal operation of its usual flight programme with the same schedules“, despite the shortage of kerosene.

Following this situation, Air France Dakar-Paris flights are stopping in Las Palmas, in the Canary Islands, for their refuelling. Brussels Airlines flights change their itinerary to operate triangular flights and get their fuel at the other African destination. Delta Air Lines makes an additional stop at Espargos, Cape Verde.

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