Pertamina hits back at Batavia Air

State oil and gas firm PT Pertamina has instructed all airport fuel depots to not supply aviation fuel to Batavia Air's aircraft before proper drain procedures have been conducted after the airline's complaint that it was supplied fuel mixed with water.

Pertamina said its workers in Medan, Batam and Padang found water content in the tanks of Batavia aircraft on Nov. 11 and Nov. 12, spokesman Mochamad Harun said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Airline officials should drain the tanks witnessed by a Pertamina worker (before refueling)," Harun said.

"This policy, which should be part of the airline's standard operating procedures, is necessary to anticipate fuel being mixed with other fluid in the tanks," he added.

Condensation in the tanks is likely to happen after a flight, said Harun, as the temperature in the air can fall to minus 15 degrees Celsius.

Batavia filed a complaint on Oct. 20, saying that fuel supplied the day before to one of its aircraft in Makassar was mixed with water. Pertamina has denied any wrongdoing.

A team consisting of representatives from Pertamina, Batavia, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Ministry of Transportation and the police is currently investigating the case. It has yet to file a report.

The South Sulawesi Police, however, have declared four Pertamina employees working in the airport's fueling station as suspects. -- JP