Delta Air Lines Makes Major Move Before Thanksgiving

Delta and Alaska Airlines have taken a series of actions to prevent flight disruptions after a pipeline problem caused concern about getting enough jet fuel to planes. The concern is especially acute for international flights, which use more fuel.

The shutdown of the Olympic pipeline in Washington State "is causing significant disruptions at SEA Airport," KIRO 7 reported. That's an even greater concern as the Thanksgiving travel holiday looms. The airlines are implementing "contingency plans to ensure planes remain fueled through Thanksgiving," the television station reported. SEA Airport refers to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

According to the television station, flights were "rerouted and rescheduled, causing inconvenience for travelers, especially those flying internationally."

Delta Air Lines, in particular, has made a major move in advance of the holiday, even using tanker trucks to ferry extra fuel to the airport itself.

Delta "has transported extra fuel via tanker trucks into Sea-Tac to supplement fuel reserves and added refueling stops," according to Reuters. And both Delta and Alaska Airlines have taken other steps to reassure passengers who are traveling for the holiday.

Delta & Alaska Airlines Are Working to Prevent Disruptions in the Fuel Supply

Both Delta and Alaska Airlines released statements addressing the concern.

"While we work with our fuel supply partners to actively mitigate any disruptions to supply, customers are encouraged to check the status of their flights before departing for the airport until the situation is resolved," Delta told KOMO News in a statement.

Alaska Airlines also addressed the concern. "To ensure our scheduled service is maintained without significant disruption, we are preparing contingency plans, which include fuel management strategies such as tankering in fuel on inbound flights to Seattle, assessing tech stop options along certain routes to conserve fuel, and maintaining and expanding our trucking operation to bring in additional fuel supply," Alaska Airlines told KOMO News.

• The concern stems from a pipeline leak in northern Washington State, according to KOMO News.
• On November 19, Washington's Governor Bob Ferguson "declared an emergency as a result of a shutdown of the Olympic Pipeline following a fuel leak near Everett. The shutdown has disrupted jet fuel transportation to SEA (Seattle-Tacoma) International Airport, which relies directly on the pipeline for jet fuel deliveries."

The governor wrote that the airport officials have taken steps to mitigate the concern.

"As of Nov. 12, SEA Airport officials implemented operational adjustments to incoming flights, issuing notifications to inbound airlines to fuel up to capacity prior to arriving, a practice known as 'ferrying' fuel," Ferguson said.

Routine Maintenance Discovered a Leak on the Olympic Pipeline

According to Ferguson, the problem stemmed from a pipeline leak.

"On Nov. 11, routine maintenance uncovered a leak on the Olympic Pipeline in Snohomish County between Everett and the City of Snohomish," he wrote. "The Olympic Pipeline notified the state of the leak and is working with state and federal partners on containment, cleanup and repair. The Olympic Pipeline has not yet provided an estimated timeline for restoring the system."

Alaska Airlines told KOMO News that the fuel issues haven't disrupted the airline's operations yet, saying, "We remain in close communication with Olympic Pipeline, refineries, and our airport partners and will communicate if we begin to see operational impacts."

Still, concerns remain. “If you are traveling overseas, that could be problematic because those jets, you know, some of the larger Boeing’s take tens of thousands of jet fuel,” said Patrick De Haan from GasBuddy, to KIRO 7.

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