Uptick in Iran's Jet Fuel Supply

Iran's jet fuel supply to aircraft in the first six months of the current fiscal year (March 21-Sept. 22) increased 5% from the same period of last year, director of the Aviation Fueling Department at the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company said.

"Over 133,800 Iranian and foreign carriers were loaded with 1.04 billion liters of aviation fuel in the six-month period compared to 988 million liters in the corresponding period of a year ago," Morteza Abedini was quoted as saying by Shana on Sunday.

According to Abedini, the number of airplanes that received fuel in the past six months rose 7% in the said period.

He noted that supplies dropped to the lowest level between May 22 and June 21, but reached a peak of 209 million liters during July 23-Aug. 22 as flights typically rise in summer.

Part of the increase in jet fuel supplies comes from renewed flights to Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Iran boycotted the Hajj last year over a dispute with Saudi Arabia over a stampede during the Hajj rituals in Sept. 2015 in which nearly 2,000 pilgrims died, including 464 Iranians.

Referring to the fact that Iranians did not attend the annual Hajj pilgrimage last year after Saudi Arabia’s officials failed to provide credible assurances about the security of pilgrims, Abedini said more than 16.5 million liters of jet fuel were supplied to 495 airplanes this fiscal to send Iranian pilgrims to the neighboring country.

The official underlined that 55 aircraft filling stations are active nationwide, two of which were recently launched in the cities of Shahroud and Kashan. He added that a station is planned to become operational in Iranshahr, Sistan-Baluchestan Province, in the near future.

Abedini also forecast aviation fuel consumption to drop in the next three months but rebound in the fourth quarter of the current fiscal year (Dec. 22-March 20) that coincides with the Christmas and Norouz holidays.

NIOPDC has also taken steps to market Iranian jet fuels in international markets through renowned traders, including Royal Dutch Shell.

The Anglo-Dutch company provides aviation fuels for almost 7,000 aircraft, refueling a plane every 12 seconds, at over 900 airports in 40 countries every day, according to the company's website.