NZ: Fuel shortage prompts flight cancellations at Auckland Airport

A jet fuel shortage is causing flight cancellations at New Zealand’s Auckland Airport with disruptions expected to continue. A total of 23 international and domestic flights have been cancelled in the last 24 hours, Auckland Airport corporate affairs manager Simon Lambourne said Sunday. Fuel companies are rationing oil because a leaking Auckland supply pipeline has been closed for repairs at New Zealand’s only refinery at Marsden Point, Whangarei. Refining NZ, which owns the pipeline, said it could take 10 to 15 days to repair, according to a news report by Radio NZ. The pipeline is the only source of jet fuel for Auckland Airport. “Airlines operating at Auckland Airport have had their usual fuel allocations reduced. We appreciate this will be inconvenient and will require airlines to take alternative fuelling measures,” said Andrew McNaught, a spokesman of Mobil Oil New Zealand Limited, which represents fuel suppliers. Airlines would have to carry more fuel to enable return flights without refuelling and stop to fuel at other airports on the way to and from Auckland, McNaught said Sunday. Air New Zealand has cancelled some services to consolidate passenger loads, and is diverting Asian and North American long-haul flights to refuel at Pacific and Australian airports, it said in a statement. Qantas and Jetstar said in that they were working to minimise impact on customers and urged people to check their flight status online.<br/>