Airlines operating from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi faced fuel shortages this week, forcing several carriers to refuel at regional airports as stock levels approached critical levels.
The crisis, attributed to insufficient orders by oil marketing companies, disrupted operations from Thursday through Sunday. Kenya Civil Aviation Authority director-general Gilbert Kibe confirmed a fresh fuel delivery had arrived in Mombasa and was being transported to Nairobi, with normal supplies expected to resume by March 10.
Egypt Air Flight MS850 made an unscheduled stop at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda for refueling, causing a three-hour delay. The flight, which departed Nairobi at 4:20am on Thursday, was originally scheduled to arrive in Cairo by 8am.
Nairobi-based cargo airline Astral Aviation reported fueling operations in Juba, Mogadishu, and Djibouti, with European-bound flights also diverting to Kilimanjaro International Airport in Tanzania. The airline's commercial manager, Mustwafa Murad, noted regional fuel prices were significantly higher than in Nairobi, with Entebbe charging $0.12 more per litre, Mogadishu $0.38, Kilimanjaro $0.14, and Juba $0.30.
Kenya Airways chairman Michael Joseph stated the national carrier had not yet experienced the shortage but anticipated supplies would last until the expected March 10 restoration. However, the situation was temporarily eased by a strike at JKIA on Wednesday, which reduced demand despite dwindling stocks.
Kenya Pipeline Company officials revealed only 10 million litres of jet fuel remained in storage, far below the daily consumption rate of 2.5 million litres. A vessel carrying 115 million litres of fuel arrived in Mombasa on Tuesday, with the cargo being pumped to Nairobi to address the shortfall.
The crisis highlighted ongoing challenges in fuel distribution, following a January incident where marketers ordered 37,000 tonnes instead of the requested 60,000 tonnes.
