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Airline LATAM cancels 36 flights in Colombia over fuel shortage

August 27, 2024 / 10:22 AM
Sharjah24 – AFP: Latin America's largest airline, LATAM, has canceled 36 flights in Colombia scheduled for Tuesday as the country grapples with a shortage of jet fuel due to an electrical failure at a refinery.
The airline said in a statement Monday that the emergency measure was due to "restrictions on the supply of Jet A1 aviation fuel in some airports" due to a failure at a refinery.

Avianca, the largest Colombian airline, had earlier expressed "concern" about fuel supplies at some airports and anticipated "adjustments in itineraries."

State oil company Ecopetrol said there had been an "electrical failure" that affected production at the Cartagena Refinery (Reficar) between August 16 and 18.

Ecopetrol announced that it would import 100,000 barrels of aviation fuel that will arrive "next weekend." This could lead to an increase in ticket prices, according to the transport ministry.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) warned on Sunday that the fuel shortage would lead to "transporting fewer passengers" by plane and "stopping some flights."

According to IATA, which represents more than 300 airlines, distributors suspended fuel supply to 11 terminals, while in many others they issued alerts for "critical stock."

The international airport in Bogota, a key hub in Latin America, has enough fuel for seven days of operation. In Medellin, the country's second-largest city, there are two days of reserves, said Ecopetrol president Ricardo Roa.
 
August 27, 2024 / 10:22 AM

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