The government is to allow private parties to supply A1 jet fuel for planes servicing at the country’s airports without any shortages.
The Minister of Ports, Navigation and Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva has pointed out the need for a program to provide aircraft fuel without any hindrance to the planes servicing Sri Lanka.
The Minister has advised the officials that if the Petroleum Corporation is unable to supply the necessary fuel for the planes arriving and departing the country, the import of the fuel should be given to a private sector party.
It was recently revealed that the number of aircraft arriving in Sri Lanka has decreased significantly due to the difficulty in obtaining aircraft fuel at the airport.
A special discussion was held recently under the chairmanship of the minister with the relevant institutions about the measures to be taken to immediately change this situation and stabilize the aviation sector
Sri Lanka’s Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Power and Energy to award an opportunity to other parties who are capable of supplying jet A-1 fuel to the country.The Jet A-1 Aviation Fuel is currently supplied by the Sri Lanka Petroleum Corporation.
Due to the foreign exchange crisis that the country is currently facing, the operations of Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery, where Jet A-1 fuel is produced, were disrupted and the import of Jet A-1 fuel has also become a challenge for Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.
Due to this, the supply of Jet A-1 fuel required for the cargo and passenger flights arriving at the airport was facing a crisis situation, and the focus on alternative measures to supply the required Jet A-1 fuel for those aircraft was considered.
It has been accepted that it is appropriate to give the opportunity to supply Jet-A fuel to Sri Lanka under the maximum supply limits to the parties who supply Jet A-1 aviation fuel to the other countries so as not to hinder the supply of fuel produced at Sapugaskanda Refinery of Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.
As such, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Power and Energy to give that opportunity to other parties who are capable of supplying jet A-1 fuel to the country.
Representatives of all airlines in Sri Lanka, Civil Aviation Authority officials and Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) officials o participated in the discussion chaired by Minister Nimal Siripla de Silva to procureA1 jet fuel from private firms.
The airlines that have joined this discussion have indicated that more flights will take place through Katunayake Airport especially in the coming months when the tourist season starts. They have also pointed out that continuous fueling of aircraft is essential.
Paying more attention to the matters presented, the Minister emphasized that if the CPC is unable to meet this requirement, private sector parties should be allowed to bring jet fuel to Sri Lanka.
Several companies representing the aviation industry stated that they are ready to bring and distribute jet fuel to Sri Lanka at their own expense if the Petroleum Corporation and the Ministry of Petroleum provide the necessary permission and facilities.
The Minister instructed the officials that the CPC should promptly carry out the necessary activities to facilitate the storage of more aviation fuel, and taking into consideration the future needs, take steps to create the necessary fuel storage at the airport as well as outside it.
