News
State Minister assures enough petroleum stocks until June next year
State Minister of Power and Energy, D.V. Chanaka, assured the public on Thursday (19) that there is no imminent risk of a fuel shortage in Sri Lanka. He explained that Sri Lanka’s fuel imports remain unaffected by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Chanaka emphasized that tenders for fuel imports needed until June 2024 have already been successfully completed, ensuring a continuous supply of fuel during that period. The government’s decision to entrust the supply of fuel to China’s Sinopec is expected to result in substantial foreign exchange savings, estimated to be over 500 million U.S. Dollars.
During a press briefing at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC) under the theme ‘Collective Path to a Stable Country,’ State Minister D.V. Chanaka highlighted the recent fuel crisis faced by the country, with shortages and long queues at gas stations. However, he mentioned that this situation was resolved swiftly.
He pointed out the fluctuation in crude oil prices in the global market, with prices varying from $50 per barrel in January 2022 to $100 per barrel due to factors such as the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. While there was a slight decrease in crude oil prices earlier this year, recent events in the Gaza Strip led to a 4% increase in fuel prices worldwide, offsetting the relief from falling crude oil prices. Although Israel and Palestine are not major fuel producers or distributors, the potential involvement of Iran added to the global market’s uncertainty.
Chanaka emphasized that despite these global conflicts, Sri Lanka’s fuel imports have continued without disruption. The government has also allowed three other suppliers, including China’s Sinopec, to provide fuel to the country. Sinopec has already commenced operations in Sri Lanka, resulting in savings of approximately 40 million USD in foreign exchange per season. These measures are expected to contribute to saving more than 500 million USD in foreign exchange annually.
Furthermore, these actions have helped reduce the risk to the dollar reserves held by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, and efforts are underway to pass on these benefits to consumers. Chanaka also mentioned the establishment of a reserve of 200 million USD for oil purchases, a noteworthy step in Sri Lanka’s energy security.
A meeting between President Anura Kumara Disanayake and Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, the Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), was held today (21) at the Presidential Secretariat.
During the discussion, Admiral Paparo extended his best wishes to President Disanayake and the new government on their planned initiatives. He also acknowledged Sri Lanka’s continued support in ensuring the security of the Indian Ocean region and maintaining a peaceful maritime environment.
Furthermore, Admiral Paparo reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to strengthening the enduring bilateral ties between the two nations and expressed support for Sri Lanka’s new governmental policies.
President Disanayake conveyed his appreciation for the assistance provided by the United States in enhancing human resources within Sri Lanka’s defence sector. The President also acknowledged the longstanding support extended by the U.S. in this regard.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage, U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung, Lieutenant Colonel Anthony C. Nelson of the U.S. Army, and Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the United States Indo-Pacific Command David Ranz were also present at the meeting.
SriLankan Airlines has announced that SriLankan Airlines flights UL 503 (Colombo to London Heathrow), scheduled to depart at 12:50 hrs and UL 504 (London Heathrow to Colombo), scheduled to depart at 20:40 hrs today [21 March 2025], have been cancelled.
Passengers requiring assistance are encouraged to contact the SriLankan Airlines Customer Centre at 1979 (within Sri Lanka), +94117 77 1979 (international) or +94744 44 1979 (WhatsApp chat) or reach out to their nearest SriLankan Airlines office or their travel agent.
The United Kingdom’s Heathrow airport has closed until midnight on Friday due to a power outage, throwing the plans of tens of thousands of travellers into chaos.
London’s main airport, which is Europe’s busiest gateway, said on Friday that it had suffered a “significant” power failure due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the facility.
“To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23h59 on 21 March,” Heathrow airport said in a post on X.
“Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport and should contact their airline for further information. We apologise for the inconvenience.”
Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 said the shutdown would affect “at least” 1,351 flights.
“We’re trying to stop passengers from travelling to the airport, and then work with airline partners on flights that are delayed, diverted, or cancelled,” a Heathrow spokesperson told Al Jazeera. “Passengers can reach out to airline partners to work on rebooking.”
Al Jazeera’s Jonah Hull, reporting from London, said the roads leading to the airport were blocked, causing “traffic chaos locally”.
“But local traffic disruption is nothing compared to the air traffic disruptions that will be spreading around the world,” he said.
Heathrow is one of the most globally connected airports and regularly ranks among the top five busiest gateways worldwide.
The airport serves more than 200 destinations in nearly 90 different countries and territories, and last year handled nearly 84 million passengers, the largest number on record.
[Aljazeera]
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