Passenger flights to Europe will have to stop in Luanda to refuel, after a consignment of contaminated fuel has led to jet fuel shortages in the country.
The first disrupted route was Discover Airlines’ flight from Windhoek to Frankfurt on Wednesday night, which was diverted to Luanda for refuelling.
“Lufthansa Group does currently face a local and temporary shortage in fuel with its suppliers at Windhoek airport (Namibia),” the airline press office said in response to questions from The Namibian yesterday.
The shortage affects its flights to Germany, with the flight to Frankfurt landing 90 minutes late yesterday morning.
“Our fuel procurement and our ground staff are searching for solutions to reinstall the normal supply.
Discover Airlines flights from Windhoek to Frankfurt or Munich will have a short stopover at Luanda International airport in Angola (NBJ).
The passengers stay on board during the fuelling stop,” Discover Airlines says.
The group said passengers who miss connecting flights will be rebooked automatically.
The jet fuel shortage started earlier this week, when the Jet A-1 aviation fuel that arrived at Walvis Bay failed routine testing.
International fuel trader Vitol is currently the only company allowed to supply fuel to the country under an emergency three-month fuel supply arrangement.
Vivo Energy Namibia, its subsidiary that distributes Shell branded fuel in Namibia, confirmed that the jet fuel it received did not meet specifications.
“The affected product was immediately quarantined and isolated.
At no stage was the fuel supplied to any customer or introduced to the aviation fuel supply chain,” Vivo spokesperson Lazarus Nafidi said on Tuesday.
Nafidi said the company is investigating the cause of the contamination.
“The company is sourcing alternative supply to minimise any disruption.
Any replacement supply will be subject to independent testing and certification before release,” he says.
“At this stage, we’re not in a position to confirm a specific timeline for the next consignment,” Nafidi told The Namibian yesterday.
The disruption to passenger flights came on the same day that Lufthansa Group suspended cargo flights from Windhoek.
In a message to customers on Wednesday, the Lufthansa Cargo Team said that its fuel supplier in Windhoek is experiencing fuel shortages, disrupting airline operations.
“We are unfortunately unable to uplift cargo from Windhoek at this time.
Based on the latest information available, cargo uplift restrictions are expected to remain in place until 23 August 2026,” Lufthansa Cargo says in the notice.
Vivo did not confirm the 23 August timeline, and Lufthansa Cargo says the timeline could change on short notice.
“Our airline partners are actively working to identify alternative solutions to minimise the impact on shipments and restore normal operations as soon as possible,” Lufthansa Cargo says.
The effect on Namibia’s economy of disruptions like this could be significant, Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) parliamentarian Rodney Cloete said yesterday.
According to Cloete, Namibia’s economy is highly dependent on exports. Air transport is the only route for fresh goods such as fresh fish, chilled meat, and fruits.
He criticised the ministry of mines and energy for a lack of planning regarding fuel supply and lack of communication.
“On 31 July 2026 the ministry issued its August fuel price release, [which] was modified as recently as 18 August 2026, and it contains not one word about supply.
One working day later, the cargo stopped,” Cloete says.
“In May the Namibia Airports Company assured this country that our jet fuel capacity could accommodate 27 Boeing 747-800s.
Capacity is not stock,” he adds.
The ministry did not respond to questions sent to them by The Namibian yesterday.
The Namibia Airports Company (NAC) said on Wednesday that it was aware of the fuel supply challenges affecting the aviation sector at Hosea Kutako International Airport.
“NAC wishes to assure airlines, passengers, aviation partners, regulatory authorities and the travelling public that active coordination efforts are underway to manage the situation,” spokesperson Dan Kamati says.
At the moment, the logistical issue with Discover Airlines flights does not have a serious impact on tourism. Despite delays, the flight routes are still running.
“We’re hoping that the matter will be resolved soon because it could affect the image of Namibia in terms of its professional service delivery.
But we see this issue as short term,” Hospitality Association of Namibia chief executive Gitta Paetzold said yesterday.
Credit: The Namibian
