Jet fuel crisis stabilising, says Air NZ
Carrier relaxing restrictions on ticket sales
Air New Zealand is relaxing restrictions on some ticket sales and says the fuel crisis is beginning to stabilise, after cancelling 41 flights since a vital pipeline ruptured.
Today’s return service from Auckland to Houston was grounded and the airline would work with passengers to find alternative services.
Since the pipeline carrying jet fuel from Refining NZ’s Marsden Pt site ruptured last week about 9000 Air New Zealand passengers have been disrupted.
“The need for further schedule disruptions will ease [from now],” the airline said.
“Air New Zealand has also lifted its restriction on long-haul ticket sales for services over the coming days. Some restrictions remain on selected transtasman and Pacific Island services. The airline is continuing to implement a range of measures to reduce fuel uplift in Auckland.”
The measures included sending an empty Boeing 787-9 to Wellington to be fuelled in preparation for yesterday evening’s flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
In most cases passengers are being accommodated on alternative services and the airline was working through the process of notifying customers, it said.
Air NZ chief operations integrity and standards officer Captain David Morgan said Air NZ was doing all it could to minimise disruption to customers in “very challenging” circumstances.
“Our teams are working hard on solutions and we are communicating to impacted customers as quickly as we can. We appreciate their continued patience as we respond to this developing situation.”
Air NZ said the supply issue was unlikely to have a material impact on the company’s annual result for the June 2018 year.
The NZX-listed airline last month reported earnings before tax for the 2017 financial year of $527 million — the second highest result in its history.
A spokesman for Jetstar said the airline cancelled four domestic jet services yesterday and two today as a result of the fuel shortage in Auckland.
“We’re consolidating services and rebooking passengers on alternative flights the same day,” he said.
The spokesman said it was too early to assess the financial impact of the pipeline failure on the low-cost airline.
Between Sunday and Tuesday Jetstar cancelled seven return domestic jet services affecting about 1900 passengers.
The pipeline carried all Auckland's aviation fuel to a depot near the airport until it ruptured, leading to fuel rationing for airlines. Since the crisis began on Sunday, planes leaving Auckland Airport have been asked to operate with 30 per cent of normal fuel levels.
A Mobil Oil spokesman yesterday said that rationing, although being reviewed daily, was likely to last until September 28.
Refining NZ said about 30 staff were working day and night to repair the pipe.