Please see our community forums for the current list of known impacted services.
Dozens of flights departing from Auckland Airport (AKL) have been impacted by a damaged fuel pipeline that supplies jet and other fuel from the Marsden Point refinery to tanks in South Auckland. The 168 kilometer pipeline is expected to take up to 2 weeks to repair, with flight disruptions across a number of airlines likely until the pipeline is fully repaired. Several airlines, including Air New Zealand, Jetstar and Virgin Australia have already cancelled flights and more flights across a number of airlines are likely to be impacted. The damaged pipeline is currently the only source of jet fuel to the airport.
With fuel rationing is currently in place, airlines will need to carry additional fuel inbound to AKL or plan for additional fueling stops en-route, likely leading to delays. Air New Zealand have cancelled a number of domestic and trans-tasman flights in the coming days, and are rebooking impacted passengers on remaining services.
Air New Zealand have published detailed information for passengers on their website, including details of a number of domestic and trans-tasman services that have been cancelled over the coming few days. Customers who have their mobile number or email address registered to their booking should receive a notification should your flight be impacted, and users of the Air NZ mobile app can view up-to-date details and be notified of any changes to your flight time.
A statement from Emirates confirmed EK449, its scheduled daily non-stop flight from Auckland to Dubai Sunday night, was routed via Christchurch where it was refuelled before continuing on to Dubai. From Monday, EK449 will temporarily operate via Melbourne. Passengers will not be required to disembark at either Christchurch or Melbourne. Emirates advise passengers holding tickets from Auckland with onward connections during this time to contact their local Emirates office and check the status of their flight. Connecting flights will be rebooked as required.
A spokesperson for the Qantas group advised Qantas and Jetstar are working to minimise impacts on their customers, and the airlines will reach out to any impacted customers directly. Passengers are also encouraged to check their flight status on Jetstar.com or Qantas.com for the latest information.
A number of international airlines operate services from Auckland, either directly or via code share or interline. Passengers with upcoming travel via Auckland are advised to contact their ticketing agent or the local office of the airline who issued their ticket for further information.
Have your travel plans been impacted? Leave a comment below or in our forums
Updated 6:40pm, 18/09/2017
