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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/nov/26/fuel-shortage-at-melbourne-airport-disrupts-flight-schedules
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| Fuel shortage at Melbourne airport disrupts flight schedules | Fuel shortage at Melbourne airport disrupts flight schedules |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Jet fuel at Melbourne airport is being rationed because of a supply issue, forcing some international flights to make refuelling stops at other Australian cities. | Jet fuel at Melbourne airport is being rationed because of a supply issue, forcing some international flights to make refuelling stops at other Australian cities. |
| The shortage has already sent thousands of travel plans into chaos and planes are being delayed across the network. | The shortage has already sent thousands of travel plans into chaos and planes are being delayed across the network. |
| However, Qantas said on Saturday its flight schedule was so far unaffected by fuel restrictions for flights leaving Melbourne airport. | |
| A Qantas spokeswoman said all flights departing Melbourne on Saturday were going ahead as normal, after some flights were delayed the previous day. | |
| Airlines on domestic and short-haul international routes have been tankering fuel, and planes have been taking a considerably larger load of fuel into Melbourne so only a small top-up is required before they depart the airport. | Airlines on domestic and short-haul international routes have been tankering fuel, and planes have been taking a considerably larger load of fuel into Melbourne so only a small top-up is required before they depart the airport. |
| Melbourne airport says the shortage is due to “upstream supply issues” and the state energy minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, has blamed the poor quality of the fuel being delivered to the airport. | Melbourne airport says the shortage is due to “upstream supply issues” and the state energy minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, has blamed the poor quality of the fuel being delivered to the airport. |
| The operator of the fuel tanks at Melbourne airport, ExxonMobil, said it was working with airlines to manage the rations. | The operator of the fuel tanks at Melbourne airport, ExxonMobil, said it was working with airlines to manage the rations. |
| Current fuel stocks at the airport are believed to be 30 per cent below capacity and holiday makers flying out of Melbourne Airport are urged to check with their airlines about departure times. | |
| The fuel rationing has raised questions about the vulnerability of Australia’s fuel supply, which is heavily dependent on imports after the closure of several refineries. Two fuel shortages prompted rationing at the airport in 2015. | |
| The number of refineries operating across the country has fallen from seven to four over the past decade as Australian refineries faced competition from direct fuel imports from lower-cost operations across Asia. Australia sources 85% of its refined fuel from Asia according to the Australian Institute of Petroleum. | The number of refineries operating across the country has fallen from seven to four over the past decade as Australian refineries faced competition from direct fuel imports from lower-cost operations across Asia. Australia sources 85% of its refined fuel from Asia according to the Australian Institute of Petroleum. |
| The board of Airline Representatives of Australia blamed the lack of urgency to increase the capacity of the fuel supply chain from refineries and seaports through to the aircraft at the airport. | The board of Airline Representatives of Australia blamed the lack of urgency to increase the capacity of the fuel supply chain from refineries and seaports through to the aircraft at the airport. |
| “You need some headroom and some redundancy in the system to handle unforeseen or unplanned events,” executive director Barry Abrams said on Friday.“Unfortunately, as demand has grown so close to supply, we don’t have that level of redundancy that we need.” | “You need some headroom and some redundancy in the system to handle unforeseen or unplanned events,” executive director Barry Abrams said on Friday.“Unfortunately, as demand has grown so close to supply, we don’t have that level of redundancy that we need.” |
| • Australian Associated Press contributed to this report |