COLOMBO, Mar 1 (NNN-XINHUA) – Sri Lanka’s cabinet of ministers, approved a proposal to allow private companies to supply Jet A-1 aviation fuel to airplanes, as the state-owned petroleum distributor fails to meet the demand, government Spokesperson, Bandula Gunawardena said.
Addressing a press conference, the spokesperson said, Jet A-1 aviation fuel is currently being supplied to aircraft by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC).
However, in the past year the operations at the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery, where the country’s Jet A-1 fuel is produced, has been disrupted, due to foreign exchange shortages, Gunawardena said.
Importing Jet A-1 fuel is also a challenge for the CPC because of the foreign currency shortage, the official added.
The spokesperson said that, in recent months the number of aircraft arriving in Sri Lanka has risen due to increasing tourist arrivals.
Gunawardena said, Sri Lanka needs to ensure that there is a continuous supply of Jet A-1 fuel, for cargo and passenger airplanes, so as to prevent any inconvenience to tourists.
Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation, Nimal Siripala de Silva, said earlier that, in 2022, Sri Lanka was unable to provide adequate jet fuel for aircraft, which resulted in flight cancellations.– NNN-XINHUA
