A bad batch has forced New Zealand to ration its jet fuel supplies. The country, which isn't expected to receive its next shipment until next week, is looking for short-term solutions in order to minimize disruption in the run-up to Christmas. However, larger carriers aren't yet worried about having to make schedule changes.

Contaminated fuel

New Zealand is wholly reliant on imported jet fuel, with RNZ noting that the Marsden Point refinery ceased producing its own fuel in April this year. As such, the facility is now used solely to handle imported jet fuel shipments, where checks are made before it is forwarded to airports for use in powering commercial aircraft.

However, one such shipment was recently found to have been contaminated and thus failed the government tests that it has to pass in order to be used at the country's airports. With Marsden Point no longer having refinery capabilities, the facility could not reprocess the fuel, which might have enabled its usage after all.

As such, aviation in New Zealand is now facing a jet fuel shortage. Z Energy, which provided the faulty batch, has advised the country's carriers to look to conserve fuel going forward until the situation can even itself out.

Airport Fuel Tanks
Photo: Getty Images

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Five days until the next shipment arrives

Unfortunately, fixing the problem won't simply be a case of getting a new batch of fuel in on a short-term basis. New Zealand-based online publication Stuff notes that the next shipment isn't set to arrive until December 12th.

According to Reuters, fuel supplies at Auckland Airport are being restricted to 75% of planned levels going forward. With rationing expected to continue until at least the 18th of this month, this has prompted airlines to consider ways of conserving fuel. This might include flying with lighter loads or refueling in Australia. However, this has its own challenges, as BARNZ Executive Director Cath O'Brien states:

"To refuel en route means getting regulatory approval, trying to find ground handling staff, and even having to reposition crew if they need to go over the planned hours of work. Then the aircraft still has to make an allocated landing slot."

Air New Zealand Boeing 787 Tail
Photo: Getty Images

Avoiding cancelations

Given the busy nature of December, as people travel to spend time with family at Christmas, the timing of the fuel shortage is less than ideal. However, while disruption has been deemed 'likely' by some parties, Air New Zealand is yet to make any cancelations as a result. According to Stuff, the national carrier's Chief Operational Integrity & Safety Officer, David Morgan, has stated that:

"At this stage, there are no changes to our current schedule. We know how important it is to get our customers around our network in the lead-up to Christmas and our team is working hard to ensure we will continue to do that."

Similarly, Reuters notes that Singapore Airlines is also yet to make any schedule changes due to the rationing. Nonetheless, as those involved work to understand the full impact of the contaminated fuel, whose conductivity levels were said to be above the permitted limits, airlines and passengers may yet face disruption.

What do you make of the situation in New Zealand? Have your travel plans ever been altered due to fuel shortages? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

Sources: Reuters, RNZ, Stuff