Colombian airlines have had to cancel flights to numerous domestic destinations because four major airports have run out of A1 jet fuel. Airports in Leticia, Cúcuta, Pasto and Valledupar are currently unable to deliver fuel, reflecting a larger crisis that threatens to seriously affect air traffic across the country. In addition, nine other airports are reportedly facing fuel shortages. El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, the country’s largest and most important hub, is on the verge of a critical shortage.
The shortage stems from an outage on August 16 at the Cartagena refinery, operated by state-owned company Ecopetrol, that disrupted fuel supplies. The refinery experienced a power outage that shut down processing facilities, leading to an 8% reduction in the country’s jet fuel supply.
Latam Colombia, a leading airline, issued a public warning on August 25, indicating that several airports were running dangerously low on jet fuel. The worst shortages were reported at Leticia, Montería and Bucaramanga airports, where distributors informed the airline that supplies of Jet A1 jet fuel were exhausted.
“The situation at El Dorado Airport in Bogotá is becoming increasingly precarious as fuel levels have dropped to critical levels,” Latam said, raising concerns in the aviation industry about the potential serious impact on air traffic in Colombia.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) also expressed its concerns, sending a letter to Colombia’s ministries of transport and mining and energy. The letter stressed that despite airlines’ efforts to ration fuel and maintain services, the ongoing shortage could soon make normal operations impossible. IATA, which represents around 330 airlines, announced that Colombian airlines were cancelling flights due to the A1 shortage, stressing that “it is obviously impossible for us to operate without aviation fuel.”
The shortages have already caused immediate disruptions, especially in areas where fuel supplies are depleted. The airports in Cúcuta, Leticia, Pasto and Valledupar suspended operations on August 25 after their fuel suppliers announced they would do so. On Monday, the country’s largest airline, Avianca, canceled flights on its Bogotá-Medellin route and suspended ticket sales to other domestic destinations.
In Cartagena, a major city and tourist attraction, fuel supplier WFS stopped supplying at least one airline on August 23. Meanwhile, critical fuel level alerts have been issued for airports in Bogotá, Medellín, Pereira and Manizales as major suppliers Terpel and Chevron struggle to maintain sufficient stocks.
The Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport in Barranquilla is also on high alert as some airlines expect fuel supply suspensions starting August 26. The smaller Santa Marta airport could be affected as early as Monday.
Ecopetrol answers
Ecopetrol confirmed the incident at the refinery and its impact on fuel supplies, reporting that the power outage on August 16 led to a complete failure of the refinery’s processing facilities. However, the company stressed that an emergency plan was quickly implemented to restart operations.
“The incident did not cause any injuries or damage to the refinery’s infrastructure,” Ecopetrol said, adding that the event did not affect the normal fuel supply to the Caribbean coast or the rest of the country.
Despite these assurances, fuel supplier Terpel acknowledged difficulties in the supply of Jet A1 fuel and announced an 8% supply cut for August. Ecopetrol stressed that there were no major supply problems and that efforts were being made to resume full production at the Cartagena refinery. As an additional measure, the company announced the import of 100,000 barrels of Jet A1 fuel to maintain operations during the emergency.
This ongoing fuel crisis has exposed the vulnerabilities of Colombia’s aviation infrastructure, particularly the country’s dependence on the Cartagena refinery for jet fuel. The sudden disruption has not only caused immediate logistical challenges, but has also raised concerns about the long-term stability of the country’s fuel supply chain.
As the situation becomes more serious, the Colombian government is under pressure to stabilize the situation and prevent further disruptions to national air traffic.
