Date:08/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/08/stories/2009010852700400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Airport running out of aviation turbine fuel stock

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: The aviation turbine fuel (ATF) stock at the Chennai airport will last only for a couple of days, according to oil industry sources.

A senior official of an oil company said the total capacity of their fuel tank at the airport was about 3,500 kilo litres. On an average about 1,200 kilo litres of aviation fuel was supplied by the company in a day.

Asked whether the tanker lorry strike would affect the transportation of aviation fuel, another official said apart from the tanker lorry strike, officers of two oil companies had announced that they would go on strike to press a charter of demands.

One of the oil companies has a direct pipeline connection from their plant in Manali to their fuel station at the airport. But, the officers’ strike could render the pipeline inoperative.

Normally, oil companies stock two days’ fuel at their fuel depot at the airport. Already a day’s stock had been exhausted and the remaining fuel would last for another day, said an official. Officials of a couple of international airlines said at present there was no problem with regard to aviation turbine fuel.