Sofia Airport Assures Smooth Operations Despite Jet Fuel Crisis

Lukoil Bulgaria CEO Valentin Zlatev was the first to hint at problems with air travel after the suspended licences of Lukoil Neftochim. Photo by BGNES

Fuel supply problems have not caused any flight irregularities or cancellations at Sofia Airport, the company reported Monday afternoon.

According to the statement, Sofia Airport is not using fuel from the State Reserve at the moment.

The storage facility of Sofia Airport is currently accepting 18 fuel tank trucks, around 950 - 1000 tons, owned by Lukoil Aviation.

Daily consumption of aviation fuel at Sofia Airport, which stands at around 200 tons under normal conditions of operation, has dropped by 30-40% to 160-180 tons because the airline companies have started buying extraordinary fuel volumes from the airport of departure as a precaution.

The aviation fuel crisis was caused by the suspended tax warehouse operator permits of Lukoil Neftochim, the sole operational refinery in Bulgaria and the sole producer of Jet A-1 fuel.

Bulgaria's Customs Agency, which imposed the penalty over Lukoil's refusal to install the required measuring devices and ensure tax transparency in its operations, will have to defend its decisions in court, as the company has already won the suspension of the preliminary execution of the punitive measure.

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