Qantas, Virgin forced to BYO fuel to Fiji after 'very rare' contamination issue
In what one pilot described to the ABC as a "very rare" situation, airlines are being asked to fuel up at alternative airports and bring in stockpiles of fuel to Fiji's international airport.
A rare contamination issue at Fiji's Nadi International Airport has forced Qantas and Virgin Australia to bring in additional fuel for their return trips to Australia. The contamination is believed to be due to an excessive electrical charge in a batch of fuel stored at the airport. Pilots have been instructed that the issue may persist until the end of the month.
Virgin Australia cancelled two services on its Fiji route, with planes having to stop en route at airports like New Caledonia and Vanuatu to refuel. Qantas switched to larger planes, such as the Airbus A330, for the Sydney-Nadi route to reduce the need for refueling. Fiji Airports confirmed they are closely monitoring the situation, but the cause of the contamination remains unclear.
The airline sector in Fiji is under significant pressure, with fuel costs surging and the national carrier facing an $80 million increase in fuel expenses.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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