Tourist Boats in Labuan Bajo Cancel Trips Due to Fuel and LPG Shortages

Several tourist boats in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), have cancelled sailings to transport tourists to Komodo National Park due to the scarcity of fuel oil (BBM) and LPG in the region. Not only scarce, but the prices of BBM and LPG in Labuan Bajo have also skyrocketed.

“This BBM scarcity is concerning as well. Prices have already risen, and now it’s scarce too. Several boats and speedboats have cancelled departures because they couldn’t obtain BBM. Besides BBM, LPG is also very scarce,” stated Ahyar Abadi, Chairman of the Labuan Bajo Tourist Boat Association (Askawi), on Thursday (7/5/2026).

The BBM scarcity in Labuan Bajo has occurred over the past few days. Similarly, LPG has been scarce for the past few weeks.

Ahyar said that tourist boat owners in Labuan Bajo even have to travel to Ruteng in Manggarai Regency to buy LPG. The journey from Labuan Bajo to Ruteng takes about five hours by land.

“Even we boat owners have to go all the way to Ruteng to get LPG,” said Ahyar.

“Hopefully, this scarcity will be resolved soon,” he concluded.

Previously, Pertamina Patra Niaga for the East Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara Region (Jatimbalinus) acknowledged the BBM scarcity in Labuan Bajo over the past few days. Area Manager for Communication, Relations & CSR at Pertamina Patra Niaga Jatimbalinus, Ahad Rahedi, claimed that BBM supplies for Labuan Bajo are in the process of being shipped.

“BBM supplies to local fuel stations are actually in the process of delivery,” said Ahad in his statement on Wednesday (6/5).

Ahad admitted to receiving reports from the public about the BBM scarcity in Labuan Bajo. There have even been long queues at fuel stations in Labuan Bajo, with residents complaining about the difficulty in obtaining Pertamax, Pertalite, and Biosolar fuels.

As a mitigation step, Ahad stated that Pertamina Patra Niaga is accelerating distribution by prioritising fuel stations experiencing high consumption spikes. “We hope that with this step, conditions at the fuel stations will improve soon and queues will return to normal,” he added.

Ahad said that the BBM tanker ship for supply to the Reo Fuel Terminal had docked yesterday. That ship carried 400 kilolitres (KL) of Pertamax, 250 KL of Pertalite, and 500 KL of Biosolar.

“With this additional supply, the BBM needs of the community in West Manggarai and surrounding areas are ensured to be met safely,” said Ahad.