New Zealand: Fuel crisis easing at Auckland airport

Airlines are now able to uplift 80% of their usual jet fuel allocations at Auckland airport, with signs that the crisis caused by the severing of a fuel pipeline is starting to ease. New Zealand energy minister Judith Collins says that a replacement of the damaged part of the pipeline from the Marsden Point refinery to the airport’s fuel farm has been completed, and later today will start operating at its allowable capacity from the afternoon of 26 September. In the meantime, trucks have been delivering jet fuel from storage tanks at Wynyard Wharf and the refinery. “Two million litres of jet fuel has now arrived at Auckland Airport’s JUHI storage facility, and 15 million litres is expected to be available by the end of the week,” says Collins. She adds that although it may take another week before full supply is available at the airport, international operations at Auckland have largely returned to normal with only three flight cancellations planned for 26 September.<br/>