Lufthansa’s Discover Airlines is rerouting some flights between Windhoek and Europe through Angola to refuel, after a temporary jet fuel shortage disrupted supplies at Namibia’s main international airport, Reuters reported on August 20.
The disruption centres on Hosea Kutako International Airport, with aircraft operating routes to Frankfurt and Munich stopping in Angola to take on fuel before continuing to their European destinations. A Lufthansa Group spokesperson said the shortage was local and temporary, attributing it to operational problems at supplier Vitol rather than disruption linked to the ongoing Iran war.
Vivo Energy Namibia, the Vitol unit responsible for selling fuel products in the country, said a shipment of fuel delivered through Walvis Bay port had failed routine quality tests and was quarantined before entering the distribution network. The company said it is investigating the cause alongside other parties involved and is seeking alternative fuel supplies, though it has not given a timeline for replacement stock.
Discover Airlines said one flight was affected on a Wednesday and a second the following day. The carrier operates 10 flights a week between Windhoek and the two German cities, and said its fuel procurement and ground staff were working to reinstate normal supplies. Lufthansa said cargo shipments could also be affected, with Lufthansa Cargo notifying customers in writing that it was unable to move freight out of Windhoek because of the shortage.
The shortage follows a three-month exclusive fuel supply agreement granted to Vitol by Namibia’s Energy Minister, Modestus Amutse, in May, intended to guard against fuel price volatility linked to the Iran war. Namibia, an emerging oil and gas exploration hub that hopes to begin producing its first oil by 2030, consumes approximately 100 million litres of petrol and diesel a month, and remains reliant, like much of the region, on imported refined fuel products from the Middle East.
The Namibia Airports Company confirmed the supply challenges and said it was taking measures to reduce disruption, though it did not specify a timeline for full resolution.