The high cost of aviation fuel being supplied at the Ogle International Airport is pitting a major consumer against the lone supplier at the airport-a controversy that saw a senior Air Services Limited (ASL) official ramming open the main airport gate with a fuel tanker.
Ogle Airport Incorporated (OAI) issued a statement, accusing ASL of violating the airport’s operations manual for fuel that has been approved by the Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
“Only those companies approved by OAI and the DGCAA as fuel handling agents at Ogle Regional Municipal Airport may engage in the Handling, Receiving, Storing and Dispensing of fuel,” states a section of the manual as quoted by OAI.
An ASL official told Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com) that Caribbean Aviation Maintenance Services (CAMS) is charging GUY$200 more per gallon for aviation fuel at Ogle being supplied by the same company – RUBIS.
The official noted that at Timehri, the fuel is sold at about GUY$1,200 per gallon compared to GUY$1,536 by CAMS and GUY$900 for fuel it has begun importing directly.
The company assured that its direct imports of aviation fuel on a trial basis from the United States meets all safety requirements. "We then decided to import fully certified ISO containers of both avjet and avgas that meets ALL safety requirements from the US on a trial basis,” the company said in a statement.
ASL said it asked CAMS several times for concessionary rates without success, and RUBIS has also refused to fill ASL’s tankers at Timehri which would have seen a saving of GUY$450,000.
OAI spokesman, Kit Nascimento noted that fuel sales account for a large chunk of the airport’s operational costs. “The sale of fuel is a considerable source of revenue for operating the airport,” he said. If ASL continues to import its own fuel, CAMS could lose GUY$15 million monthly, Demerara Waves Online News was told by another source.
Noting that government had some time ago turned down OAI’s application to import fuel directly at 15 percent less, Nascimento challenged ASL to invest in establishing a fully compliant and insured aviation fuel storage facility.
Nascimento rejected ASL’s claims that CAMS on Friday began refusing to refuel its planes. “That is totally false! In fact they refueled this afternoon and we have photographic evidence of their aircraft being refueled. It’s an absolute lie,” he said.
A letter from CAMS' Director of Maintenance, John Isaacs to ASL's Flight Operations Superintendent, Annette Arjoon-Martins seen by Demerara Waves Online News explained that the fuel supplier had initially refused to dispense fuel in the airline's tanker/bowser/drums, fearing that they could be mixed up with fuel imported from the United States. CAMS had opted to fuel the planes directly until it got clearance from RUBIS to dispense in other recepacles only if they were empty.
"After we were made aware that ASL had sourced its own sup;ly of aviation fuel, this raised liability concerns in the case of co-mingling of product over which we have no quality control and accordingly we needed to seek advice from our supplier RUBIS which was done later in the morning," said Isaacs.
The controversy reached a head Thursday night when a senior ASL official rammed open the main gate to the airport after the security refused to allow that vehicle and another truck laden with aviation to enter the compound to ASL’s location.
ASL’s Managing Director Mazar Ally told Demerara Waves Online News that the manual on aviation fuel was crafted by a cartel of companies that control almost every aspect of operations at the Ogle Airport but that would have to change.
“For our purposes, it does not say anything exclusive. The manual is written for the Correias. The manual is not law, it’s written for them but it’s not written in stone,” he said, adding that ASL would be taking legal action.
The Correia Group of Companies is a major shareholder in OAI and includes Trans Guyana Airways, CAMS and airport security.
Aviation Minister, Robeson Benn was expected to meet with officials at Ogle on the issue.
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