Fuel shortage at AKL

[Mattg]

Auckland Airport doesn't have enough fuel!

All travel out of Auckland Airport looks likely to be disrupted for several days after a digger lifting swamp kauri on a farm at Ruakaka, south of Whangarei, sliced through the airport's sole supply of jet fuel from the Marsden Point refinery.

Airport spokesman Simon Lambourne said 23 flights have been cancelled in the past 24 hours.

NZ Refining spokesman Greg McNeill said the pipeline was likely to be shut down for several days, with two engineers flying in from Canada tomorrow.

Petrol and diesel can be trucked into Auckland by tanker, but the airport depends entirely on the pipeline and is now running out of stored supplies of aviation fuel.

Auckland Airport fuel crisis: 23 flights cancelled, more likely

According to the article, 23 flights have already been cancelled as a result. Looks like Qantas have had to cancel a few flights (e.g. a SYD-AKL rotation tomorrow morning has been cancelled) and some of their existing flights have been up-gauged to A330s - presumably so they can fill up in Australia and fly to NZ and back without having to refuel in AKL. Emirates' AKL-DXB non-stop flight is now a 1-stop flight via CHC until they can get the fuel supply back up and running.

This reminds me of a similar problem that occurred in MEL a few years ago.

 

[Himeno]

I guess that explains why QF151 was cancelled yesterday.

 

[Berlin]

Lol, only in New Zealand...

 

[Mattg]

Lol, only in New Zealand...

Except that it has also happened in Melbourne

Major fuel shortage at Melbourne Airport forces flight delays, diversions

Apparently it could take up to 2 weeks to restore the fuel supply to AKL.

 

[Mattg]

Well this is interesting.. LA800 SYD-AKL-SCL is now making an extra stop in Tahiti!

LATAM informs about operation at Auckland Airport, New Zealand

 

[samh004]

When this sort of issue happens at an airport, do airlines end up receiving discounts on their landing taxes etc, for the inconvenience caused not just to them, but also passengers? I imagine (but don't know) that there is a contract for landing slots/a particular route and an airline having to up-gauge services to a bigger plane so they can carry the return fuel with them would lead to concessions for the extra cost they are going to have to incur?

Just curious.

 

[docjames]

Well this is interesting.. LA800 SYD-AKL-SCL is now making an extra stop in Tahiti!

LATAM informs about operation at Auckland Airport, New Zealand

That's quite a diversion (in the order of 25% further distance):

Great Circle Mapper

I assume the choice of PPT rather than say CHC relates to ground support/onward options/"rescue flight" in the event the aircraft goes tech?

 

[Colster]

I would like to see Emirates/Qatar carry enough fuel from the ME to AKL and back on a 380...

 

[xt_20]

Something I don't understand - why do some flights need to make a stop and some don't?
SQ286 (B77W) went direct AKL-SIN.
MH130 (A333) transitted via MEL
NZ282 (B789) went direct AKL-SIN
EK449 (A388) transitted via CHC/MEL
QR921 (B77L) went direct AKL-DOH.

Did SQ/NZ/QR pay more so they had the fuel, as opposed to MH or EK?
Did SQ tanker more fuel from SIN, since the B77W has higher capacity (compared with MH's A333)? Doesn't explain the QR's B77L...

 

[TomVexille]

Except that it has also happened in Melbourne

Major fuel shortage at Melbourne Airport forces flight delays, diversions

Apparently it could take up to 2 weeks to restore the fuel supply to AKL.

And in SYD

 

[Mattg]

When this sort of issue happens at an airport, do airlines end up receiving discounts on their landing taxes etc, for the inconvenience caused not just to them, but also passengers? I imagine (but don't know) that there is a contract for landing slots/a particular route and an airline having to up-gauge services to a bigger plane so they can carry the return fuel with them would lead to concessions for the extra cost they are going to have to incur?

Just curious.

I expect that the airlines will be left to bear the full costs...

 

[AviationNZ]

When this sort of issue happens at an airport, do airlines end up receiving discounts on their landing taxes etc, for the inconvenience caused not just to them, but also passengers? I imagine (but don't know) that there is a contract for landing slots/a particular route and an airline having to up-gauge services to a bigger plane so they can carry the return fuel with them would lead to concessions for the extra cost they are going to have to incur?

Just curious.

Could be proven wrong, but the issue doesn't lie with the airport either, so don't think think they'll wear the brunt of the cost. It may be a situation for the insurance of Refining NZ or the person/company responsible for damaging the pipe.

 

[Berlin]

It may be a situation for the insurance of Refining NZ or the person/company responsible for damaging the pipe.

Oh that poor digger who accidentally hit the pipe- he won't be having a good week, I'm pretty sure!

 

[eric2011]

my BNE-AKL-LAX flight yesterday had an stop in NAN to fill up. Added an extra 3 hours or so to the already long trip

 

[moa999]

Looks like QF is sending VH-OEG over tonight as QF6011 operating as a tanker

 

[lowan74]

I had wondered why the Air China 787 service from AKL to PEK, CA784, had been operating via SYD.. this explains it

 

[Berlin]

Has this Auckland issue been fixed by now? Haven't heard or read anything...

 

[TomVexille]

Has this Auckland issue been fixed by now? Haven't heard or read anything...

Reports that the pipeline is at 80% so supposedly no issues for airlines now

Fuel supply to Auckland Airport back to normal, pipeline still being fixed

 

[Berlin]

Reports that the pipeline is at 80% so supposedly no issues for airlines now

Thank you, glad to hear!

 

[Pushka]

Nothing untoward for MrP last week who had multiple internal flights. Didn’t tell him about the issue so as not to worry him.