Mix Jet, a Dubai based firm that was contracted to supply fuel to Uganda Airlines aircrafts has apologized due to late delivery of fuel, which delayed the Bombardier UR321 at Julius Nyerere Airport in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on July 12.
The fuel crisis which hindered plane take off for 1 hour and 45 minutes attracted debate on Social Media and also misrepresentation of facts in the media that the aircraft had completely run out of fuel in Tanzania.
However, Ugandans conversant with the aviation sector, dismissed the story insisting that either the plane would crash or seek emergency landing if indeed it ran out of benzene gas.
However, a passenger on the flight whose tweet raised dust, alleged that Uganda Airlines had not paid for fuel.
But the airlines refuted this claim saying it is a standard practice to see that a plane has enough fuel for its intended destination, before departure.
Jennifer Bamuturaki, who is the head of Uganda Airlines expounded that the aircraft, according to the aviation procedures, must also have enough fuel reserves to an alternative airport if need arises due to unforeseen circumstance like bad weather.
This website understands, that Ms Bamuturaki, a no nonsense boss who last month received heaps of praises from President Yoweri Museveni for her strong stance against fighting corruption, subjected Mixjet, a fuel supplier, into a series of interrogation for causing such an embarrassment to the Airlines which pays its fuel in advance.
A source in Uganda Airlines said this was a second time, Mixjet was delaying to refuel the airliner.
Uganda Airlines signed a contract for global fuelling with Mixjet , which subcontracted other suppliers on ground to deliver services on its behalf.
Total Air is the subcontractor which is supposed to fuel Uganda Airlines planes at Entebbe and Dar es Salaam airports.
The arrangement requires the client to pay for fuel upfront for a month. Uganda Airlines, according to the contract paid Mixjet fuel for July on June 26.
What happened in Dar es Salaam?
The mess started when Total, a subcontractor of Mixjet, but also dependent on another company that stores the gas at Julius Nyerere ran out of reserves and didn’t communicate to the airliner before taking off from Entebbe.
Upon landing in Tanzania, the airliner crew was astounded that no one from Total was able to communicate in advance that the plane wouldn’t be refilled as required.
Sources say, the phones were off. Uganda Airlines had to communicate with main contractor in Dubai through an email about the delay and find a contingency plan to save Uganda Airlines of an embarrassment and delay to passengers.
However, the cabin crew explained the to passengers on every touch point and what was being done to rectify the matter and also regretted the inconvenience.
The supplier would later notify the Airline that the tankers delivering fuel had been stuck in traffic jam.
Dar es Salaam is among the East African cities with heavy traffic jam that can last for 5 hours.
After one hours and 45 minutes, the mess was sorted and the aircraft took off.
Ms Bamuturaki maintains that it’s not 8 hours of delay as earlier exaggerated by the media.
Mixjet has since apologized over the embarrassment caused to its clients, the passenger and the country Uganda.
Uganda Airlines, according to media reports had pondered cancelling the contract with mixjet following the two mortifying events, but the fuel supplier has committed that such crisis will never happen again.