The airport in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, has a new sign up: “Out of gas.”
That’s right. The airport’s supply of aviation fuel has been totally cut off by an accident involving the single 10-inch pipeline that supplies all the fuel for planes flying out of the city.
Although there’s some limited fuel in storage, airlines are scrambling to cope with the cut-off, cancelling some flights, requiring others to reroute for refueling at other airports. Long haul flights may be diverted to Australia or Fiji to fill their tanks.
Observers say the potential for this kind of problem has been well known for years.
One news story cites a government report done several years ago which suggested a “short term” disruption of fuel supplies could be handled by “flight rationalisation and fuel bunkering”.
That is bureaucratic jargon for significant disruption. Air New Zealand responded by accusing MBIE of minimising the downstream implications, including a hit to the country’s reputation as a tourism destination.
“If a country’s fuel security reputation suffers through fuel outages which significantly affect flights over a period of time, it will receive international publicity and it will cause some agents to recommend other destinations.”
Already trans-Tasman flights are being cancelled, and the Air New Zealand submission makes it clear why.
Most of the planes which fly the Tasman cannot carry enough fuel to fly from Sydney to Auckland and back without refuelling in New Zealand. Long haul would face unexpected stopovers in Nadi in Fiji and Sydney.
The disruption could last ten days to two weeks, according to news reports.
This is getting personal. Meda is scheduled for a stint as a Visiting Fellow at the University of Auckland’s School of Social Sciences, and we’re scheduled to fly to Auckland in two weeks.
I’m wondering whether Honolulu Airport’s source of aviation fuel has redundancy built-in? Could this scenario be played out here at some point?
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Yes, all the Hawaii Airports are in an extreme state of disrepair and poorly managed with no current Master Plan. This is the Governor’s problem, and he hasn’t a clue what is going on. DOT-Airports has zero qualified, experienced managers. The swamp needs to be drained.
The only airline usable runway on Maui is way beyond it’s useful life and is crumbling under the heavy weights of aircraft taking-off for the mainland. It is one pothole away from being shut down. Do think that will effect the home the economy on Maui when no long range jet can land there? For Decades Senator Dan brought home the Pork and kept things moving here. Unfortunately, this hide the problems of mismanagement and incompetence of Government.
Although the DOT has made minor improvements to the airport, (flooring, carpeting, decor), the Honolulu (Dan Inouye) Airport is still dismal compared to other international destinations, like Seoul, Narita, and Osaka. How long will it take for the consolidated rental area being constructed to be completed? Poor Dan, the “king of pork” would be embarassed to see his name on this outdated, dingy, and poorly maintained airport.
Of course the people who insisted that Dan Inouye’s memory be perpetuated by sticking his name on every possible project thought that it would be great if everyone were forced to repeat it who has to pass through Honolulu International Airport. The irony, of course, is that the airport in its decaying condition is more emblematic of the true results of the senator’s dominance of local politics than they would have wished.