New Zealand's fuel shortage hits more flights and petrol stations

New Zealand’s jet fuel shortage on Tuesday forced 39 flights to be canceled, 13 of them international, with concerns the fuel crisis may spread after fuel stations in the country’s largest city Auckland halted high-octane gasoline sales. The fuel shortage, caused by a damaged pipeline to Auckland Airport, has caused widespread disruption to air travel since the weekend and comes only days before Saturday’s national election with infrastructure shortages a hotly contested issues. New Zealand’s military, which cancelled an exercise with Singapore to save fuel, was trucking fuel supplies around the country in an attempt to ease the shortage and government officials have been asked to avoid non-essential air travel. Air New Zealand said on Tuesday it was beginning to refuel long-haul aircraft at the international airport in the capital Wellington. Flights to and from Auckland have stopped at airports in Australia and Pacific islands like Fiji to refuel. The airline said it was restricting its ticket sales, which it called an “unusual step”, and that it would not accept any last-minute cargo, except for important medical equipment. New Zealand’s largest fuel supplier Z Energy said on Tuesday that gasoline for some high-end cars was not available at 13 of its fuel stations in Auckland, according to a spokesman.<br/>