Virgin Australia cancelled two services on Thursday on its Fiji route and confirmed planes are being forced to stop halfway at airports such in New Caledonia and Vanuatu to make the journey back to Australia and Fiji.
One pilot described to the local media as a "very rare" situation, airlines are being asked to fuel up at alternative airports if possible and bring in stockpiles of fuel to Nadi International Airport. In correspondence seen by the media, pilots are being told that there is a "major contamination" and supply cannot be guaranteed in Fiji.
Pilots have been told the problem may continue until the end of the month. One pilot said he has to bring in "more than 20 tonnes" of fuel to Fiji in order to make the flight back to Australia. On a standard plane that services Fiji that equates to about one third to a quarter of a tank.
Qantas said it had switched to larger planes, from a Boeing 737 to an Airbus A330, for the Sydney-Nadi route to avoid needing to refuel in Nadi.
The contamination issue relates to an excessive electrical charge in a batch of fuel stored at the airport, however it was unclear where the issue originated from. The source indicated it could be resolved soon or escalate into a more significant issue.
Fiji Airports did not confirm the cause of the contamination issue. A spokesperson said they were making "operational adjustments" and the airport was "closely monitoring the current aviation fuel situation". "Nadi International Airport (NAN/NFFN) remains open and operational, with established safety and operational protocols being maintained," it said.
Pilots have been told the problem may continue until the end of the month. One pilot said he has to bring in "more than 20 tonnes" of fuel to Fiji in order to make the flight back to Australia. On a standard plane that services Fiji that equates to about one third to a quarter of a tank.
Qantas said it had switched to larger planes, from a Boeing 737 to an Airbus A330, for the Sydney-Nadi route to avoid needing to refuel in Nadi.
Fiji Airports did not confirm the cause of the contamination issue. A spokesperson said they were making "operational adjustments" and the airport was "closely monitoring the current aviation fuel situation". "Nadi International Airport (NAN/NFFN) remains open and operational, with established safety and operational protocols being maintained," it said.
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