Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said Wednesday that its oil refinery had been buying oil from Russia before the invasion of Ukraine, but that it stopped before Western sanctions took effect.
Bastian said he did not previously know that the Atlanta-based airline’s Monroe Energy refinery in Trainer, Pennsylvania had Russia as one of its top sources of oil, along with Africa and other international sources.
“As soon as we found out about that... we had a bunch of open contracts and I stopped them before the sanctions went into place,” Bastian said during remarks at an Atlanta Press Club event Wednesday night.
Delta bought the Trainer refinery about a decade ago, in an effort to gain more control over jet fuel supply and costs when oil prices spiked above $100 a barrel.
As reported earlier, Delta also suspended a marketing partnership with Russian carrier Aeroflot shortly after the invasion of Ukraine.
Delta does not fly to Russia or Ukraine. The airline says it contributed $1 million to Ukraine relief.
About the Author
