A new stock of aviation gasoline (Avgas) is expected to arrive in Malta early this week to the relief of owners of light aircraft which have been grounded for the last fortnight.
About 20 aircraft were hit by the fuel shortage, Ivan Gatt, President of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, told The Times last week.
Avgas is a leaded, high-octane fuel used by piston-engined aircraft. The major users are the Armed Forces of Malta, who operate four aircraft, and the small fleet of private, mainly commercial, light aircraft.
Apologising to owners of private planes, Enemalta's chief executive officer David Spiteri Gingell explained that Avgas cannot be stored for long periods owing to the fact that it is a very volatile fuel. Its "Reid Vapour Pressure" can easily fall to below the minimum standard and when this happens the fuel would no longer remain suitable for aviation use.
Quality control procedures also stipulate that Avgas has to be re-certified after three months in storage and since it is a leaded fuel, the downgraded fuel cannot be blended with the unleaded motor gasoline.
Mr Spiteri Gingell said the corporation's Avgas stock level was affected because an unscheduled aerial photography plane arrived in Malta with no pre-advice to the Department of Civil Aviation and Enemalta.
The corporation immediately took steps to bring forward new stocks but the process between ordering the stock and loading it onto a vessel normally takes three weeks.
In the meantime the corporation, although in possession of Avgas stock, recognised the fact that the AFM's scheduled and unscheduled flights were to substantially rise in May due to an increase in the incidence of flight patrols over Maltese waters.
Therefore the corporation took steps to tightly manage its stock to make sure that AFM flights would not be jeopardised until Avgas stock levels are normalised.
Mr Spiteri Gingell also referred to the Avgas fuel depot which was constructed at the cost of thousands of Maltese liri some years ago and which, the President of the pilot owners' association also complained, was never commissioned.
The Enemalta CEO said this depot was meant to serve as a self-service pump for light aircraft to cut costs of fuelling done through Enemalta employees and vehicles.
The corporation had taken the decision to build this installation when demand for Avgas was very high, particularly because of tuna plane spotters that used to accompany foreign fishing vessels.
The introduction of an EU Directive making tuna plane spotters illegal led to a substantial fall in the demand for the fuel so the corporation suspended the commissioning of the pumping installation.
Mr Spiteri Gingell said it could be commissioned within four weeks should the demand of Avgas increase again to levels which made the operation of the pumping station commercially viable.