Airlines forced to ration jet fuel in New Zealand, but limited impact seen

Key regional airlines said on Wednesday they expected to continue scheduled flights with New Zealand, which is beginning to ration jet fuel after a recent shipment failed government tests. Airlines are being told that jet fuel supplies at the country’s largest airport in Auckland will be throttled to 75% of planned allocations, said Cath O’Brien, an official of a national panel of airline representatives. But national carrier Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines ruled out immediate schedule changes, as did an official of another major regional airline, who sought anonymity in the absence of authorisation to speak with media. “We know how important it is to get our customers around our network in the lead-up to Christmas and our team are working hard to ensure we will continue,” said David Morgan, chief safety officer for the national carrier. No schedule changes were currently being considered, he added. A spokesperson for Singapore Airlines said it was working closely with authorities to understand if operations would be affected, adding, “There are currently no changes to our scheduled operations.”<br/>