Chaos As (Cape Town) Airport Runs Out of Fuel

December 10, 2005

Cape Town International Airport ran out of fuel yesterday, disrupting the travel plans of thousands of local and international passengers and costing airlines millions of rands in diversions and lost business.

Incoming airlines early yesterday morning were not warned that the airport had run out of fuel and were only advised once they had landed.

A consignment of fuel delivered to the airport on Friday was found to be below specification and was returned to the refinery, leaving airport tanks virtually dry yesterday.

"We could not make other arrangements like bringing extra fuel with us from Johannesburg," said 1Time's director of Marketing and Operations, Rodney James.

James said the airline would now have to fly via Kimberley or Bloemfontein to refuel before continuing on to Johannesburg. "How can an airport let fuel tanks run so low? It is ridiculous."

http://allafrica.com/stories/200512100105.html

Is this just a taste of things to come for the rest of the world?