Strikes: the supply of kerosene to Ile-de-France airports "becomes critical"

Europe 1 10:45 a.m., March 23, 2023

The supply of kerosene to the Ile-de-France and its airports by Normandy "becomes critical" because of strikes in refineries, said Thursday to AFP the Ministry of Energy Transition which is ready to requisition strikers.

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Given this situation, the government has "issued a requisition order" against the strikers of the TotalEnergies refinery in Normandy, shut down last weekend and where fuel shipments are blocked; "But it has not been decided to notify it at this stage," the ministry added.

Companies called to the precaution

"The government is monitoring the situation hour by hour and department by department with professionals and prefects. We intervene in a targeted manner to unblock deposits that are obstructed by demonstrators. As soon as requisitions cannot be avoided, we will assume our responsibilities," said Energy Transition Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher.

For its part, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has been warning airlines for several days that kerosene reserves at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle and Paris-Orly airports are "under tension", encouraging them to take their precautions, publishing two "notices for air missions" (NOTAM) to this effect.

Stocks under tension

"Kerosene stocks at Paris Charles-de-Gaulle are currently under stress. To avoid any operational problem, all flights to Paris-CDG are called upon to carry the maximum amount of fuel from their airport of origin, within the limits of the operational capabilities" of the aircraft, warns the DGAC in a message sent on March 17.

An almost identical NOTAM advocating the same measures, was published the next day for Paris-Orly, stressing that "due to supply problems, kerosene stocks at Paris-Orly are subject to special surveillance".