Fuel crisis: Four international flights out of Auckland cancelled today

Energy Minister Judith Collins is confident there will be no disruptions to school holiday travel as jet fuel allocations at Auckland International Airport were increased today. Photo / Supplied

International travellers booked on four flights out of New Zealand are the latest victims of the fuel crisis.

A spokeswoman for Auckland Airport told the Herald four international flights had been cancelled today because of a shortage of fuel caused by the rupture on the pipeline used to transport fuel from Northland to Auckland, which supplied jet fuel to the airport.

However, most passengers have not been left stranded and have instead been moved to other flights.

Information about the number of passengers booked on the flights or which airlines were affected by the cancellations was not able to be released.

No domestic flights had been cancelled or delayed by the issue, the Auckland Airport spokeswoman said.

An Air New Zealand spokeswoman said the airline hadn't cancelled any flights today, but one international flight from Auckland to Hong Kong departing at 11.59pm would stop in Brisbane to refuel.

"The airline is continuing to implement a range of measures to reduce fuel uplift in Auckland," she said.

The pipeline, which burst on September 14, had caused travel disruptions for thousands of Kiwis during the last week or so.

Repairs to the pipeline have gone well so far, a spokesman for the organisation that owns
the pipeline said this morning.

The news will likely come as a relief to the airport - scores of flights have had to be cancelled or rescheduled this week because of a shortage of fuel.

The spokesman for Refining NZ told the Herald the damaged section had been cut out and replaced with a new section which had been welded into place.

Two scans of the pipeline conducted to test the welds had shown the welds were "successful".

Insurance company Lloyds had also inspected the repairs and given them the all clear.

"Now we can go into the next stage, which is pre-commissioning the pipeline to get it ready to go," the spokesman said.

The pipeline was expected to start delivering jet fuel to Wiri between midday tomorrow and midday Tuesday.

"Settling, recertification and transport to the airport for use will take another 30 hours."

Meanwhile, tankers carrying jet fuel from the refinery were being loaded and a ship, m.v. Matuku, carrying 3.5 million litres (about 120 trucks worth) of jet fuel, diesel, petrol and fuel oil departed Marsden Point for Auckland at 5am.

Energy Minister Judith Collins yesterday told the Herald she was confident there will be no disruptions to school holiday travel as jet fuel allocations at Auckland International Airport were increased today.

Carriers' fuel allocations have been raised to 50 per cent normal from 30 per cent rationing and the country's main air hub should start returning to business as usual today, Collins said in a statement.

Restrictions were imposed earlier this week after damage to the pipeline between the Marsden Point refinery and the Auckland depot disrupted fuel supply, prompting a joint industry and government response.

"The easing of rationing shows the industry's confidence in the progress of the repair, as Refining NZ reports the welding of the new section of pipeline has been completed and has passed its first testing," Collins said.

"We are confident there will be no disruption to travel plans for the upcoming school holidays."

Refining NZ again reaffirmed its expectation service to the Wiri depot will resume between September 24 and September 26, after which it will take another 30 hours before fuel can be transported to the airport.