[UPDATE]
BP South Africa’s response to our request for more information: A statement from Hamlet Morule, Head of Communications & External Affairs at bp Southern Africa “As part of good business practice, Air bp reviews its portfolio on a continuous basis. In light of its latest review, a decision was taken to exit all of bp’s aviation activities, as operator at the airports, and direct supplier to airlines, in South Africa. The decision was made as a result of Air bp’s current global business strategy.
bp can confirm that it has sent out communication advising its customers of its decision to cease aviation fuel activities at East London and George Airports on 31 March 2023, and has withdrawn from Cape Town International Airport effective 31 January 2023. Furthermore, bp Southern Africa has taken a decision to exit operations at OR Tambo International Airport and is currently serving notice to cease being managing participant, effective 1 May 2023. We have sent out communications advising our customers of our decision to cease aviation activities at OR Tambo and King Shaka International Airports on 30 April 2023.
In this time of transition, bp remains committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure customers and the country are not adversely impacted as a direct result of bp’s exit from South Africa’s aviation market.”
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News from South Africa today says BP will no longer support airport refueling in South Africa. At this writing, no formal PR has been released to explain the decision. We have requested information from BP in London and South Africa.
In 2022 there was an issue with refueling Russian aircraft in South Africa because of sanctions on Russia. Then the state stepped in and offered Russian aircraft refueling.
The latest information we have from BP is this: “As part of good business practice, Air BP reviews its portfolio on a continuous basis. In light of its latest review, a decision was taken to exit all of BP’s aviation activities – as operator at airports, and direct supplier to airlines – in South Africa,” Hamlet Morule, BP Southern Africa’s spokesperson, told News24 on Tuesday.
That they will not tell us the reason tells all we need to know. They are worried their assets are going to be seized by the increasingly racist and kleptocratic apartheid state.