The Airports Company of South Africa says it is working to resolve the fuel shortfall at O.R Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, which has resulted in 14 flights cancellations affecting over 3,000 people.
If international airlines’ suppliers are unable to provide aviation fuel, the Central Energy Fund says it will help them refuel.
A ship carrying 10 million litres of petroleum is already parked in Durban, but the shipment will not arrive in Johannesburg until next week via pipeline.
The main source of fuel for O.R Tambo’s Airport is rail, but flood damage to the network in the KwaZulu-Natal region near Durban means there would not be flights until June.
The airport’s fuel supply is currently little over three days, but officials are optimistic that the precautions in place will avoid more cancellations.
Last month an oil industry body flagged the jet fuel shortage at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport, one of Africa’s busiest airports, linking it to damage from devastating floods in KwaZulu-Natal province that have left thousands homeless and caused at least 10 billion rand ($633 million) of damage to infrastructure.