Major U.S. airlines have prepared contingency plans – some involving extra fuel stops – during the Thanksgiving holiday travel week, after a pipeline leak disrupted jet fuel deliveries to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
The vital Olympic Pipeline, which carries gasoline, diesel and jet-fuel from refineries in northwest Washington to terminals in Seattle and parts of Oregon, including the Seattle‑Tacoma International Airport, was shut down after a leak was discovered earlier this month.
The 400-mile pipeline operated by BP wasn’t fixed as of Nov. 20. BP also didn’t specify what caused the leak or the timeline for when it would be restarted.
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Seattle Gov. Bob Ferguson declared an emergency, saying the shutdown has disrupted jet fuel transportation to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, which relies directly on the pipeline for jet fuel deliveries.
To minimize the impact on customers, Delta Air Lines said a very limited number of domestic long-haul flights exiting the airport will make a brief fueling stop. The airline also transported extra fuel via tanker trucks into the airport to supplement fuel reserves while the pipeline is repaired.
“Delta is closely monitoring the status of repairs to the Olympic Pipeline and has issued a waiver to provide customers with flexibility in case we need to make schedule adjustments,” the airline told FOX Business.
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Alaska Airlines doesn’t expect any impact on its operations. To ensure its schedule is maintained as planned, the carrier said it implemented contingency plans, which include stops along a flight’s route to load additional fuel as well as maintaining and expanding its trucking operation to bring in additional fuel supply.
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“We remain in close communication with Olympic Pipeline, refineries, and our airport partners and will communicate if we begin to see operational impacts,” the carrier said.
FOX Business reached out to Hawaiian, Southwest and JetBlue.
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