Four airports in northern Italy will implement restrictions on refueling for commercial flights until April 9 due to „limited availability” of fuel from operator Air BP Italia.
The airports affected are Milan Linate, Venice Marco Polo, Bologna, and Treviso, reports EFE.
The specific fuel affected is Jet A1, a kerosene-type fuel used in civil aviation and by aircraft operating at commercial airports and air bases.
The situation was announced following the issuance of several official notices to airmen (NOTAM), warning airlines that refueling for operators contractually linked to Air BP Italia is subject to restrictions.
To ensure the operation of essential services, a priority order has been established for refueling in the following order:
- air ambulance flights
- official state flights
- long-haul routes lasting more than three hours.
For all other commercial operators, the airports of Venice, Treviso, and Bologna have set a maximum fuel limit of 2,000 liters per aircraft.
In the case of Venice's Marco Polo Airport, the technical notice urges pilots to "calculate sufficient fuel from the previous airport for subsequent flight segments."
An average commercial aircraft, such as an Airbus A320 or Boeing 737, consumes between 2,000 and 3,000 liters of fuel per hour on average.
Air BP Italia - a subsidiary of British energy giant BP - has not specified the exact causes of these supply chain restrictions in the northern part of the country, although industry sources consulted by local media have indicated the presence of logistical issues.