In Russia, 26 airports have restricted aviation refueling
Against the background of the aviation fuel situation in Russia, restrictions on aircraft refueling have been introduced at least at 26 major airports. At 15 of them, the restrictions apply only to aircraft of foreign airlines.
26 airports in Russia have restricted aviation refueling
Restrictions on refueling aircraft are being widely introduced at Russian airports. According to the "Verstka" publication, relying on data from the aeronautical information system, as of September 7, such measures are in effect at least in 26 major airports in the country.
According to the publication, the first restrictions were introduced in June, and the second wave occurred in September. Their duration is set from one month to almost seven months, depending on the airport.
In particular, at Pulkovo Airport in Saint Petersburg, from September 2 to March 16, 2027, aircraft are allowed to refuel only in the volume specified in the flight plan. The possibility of obtaining additional fuel is restricted.
A similar procedure is in effect at Khrabrovo Airport in Kaliningrad from June 8 to December 6. At these two airports, the restrictions apply equally to both Russian and foreign airlines.
At 15 of the 26 airports, the measures apply only to foreign airlines. NOTAM messages published for pilots indicate that foreign airlines' aircraft are refueled only in the amount necessary to perform a single flight.
Such restrictions are in effect at airports in cities such as Kazan, Ufa, Perm, Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Tyumen, Irkutsk, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, and Yakutsk. In Ufa, refueling of aircraft performing non-scheduled flights is also restricted.
According to "Verstka", the most difficult situation regarding aviation fuel is observed in the south of Russia. Out of the six currently operating airports, the restrictions in Sochi, Volgograd, and Astrakhan apply equally to domestic and foreign carriers. Meanwhile, at the airports of Krasnodar, Mineralnye Vody, and Vladikavkaz, the restrictions have been introduced for foreign airlines.
DW links the fuel shortage in Russia to Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries. According to the publication, Russian oil refineries have been hit at least 70 times since the beginning of the year.
By the end of August, it was reported that gasoline production in Russia was equivalent to about 70 percent of domestic consumption, and the daily deficit reached 30,000 tons. In August alone, at least seven oil refineries fully or partially suspended operations, and restrictions on fuel sales were introduced in 17 regions of the country.