Seattle Airport Faces Fuel Crunch Threat After Pipeline Shuts
Emergency Proclamation Waives Caps on Number of Hours That Commercial Vehicle Drivers Can Work While Transporting Jet Fuel
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Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is facing the threat of disruptions for jet-fuel supplies after a pipeline spill prompted a shutdown of the conduit at a time when airlines are prepping for one of the busiest travel times of the year.
Alaska Air Group is already working on a contingency plan to bring in more fuel if needed. And Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson has declared an emergency, citing the prospect of “significant disruption to fuel supply for transportation, emergency response and aviation operations.”
Sea-Tac ranks No. 16 on Transport Topics' list of the busiest airports for cargo in North America.
BP's Olympic Pipeline in Washington and Oregon was shut down Nov. 11, according to theissued by Ferguson this week. Sea-Tac “relies directly” on the pipeline for deliveries, according to the proclamation, which waives caps on the number of hours that commercial vehicle drivers can work while transporting jet fuel.
So far, the situation hasn’t disrupted operations at Sea-Tac, according to Perry Cooper, a spokesperson for the airport.
Still, if the conduit remains shut into next week, that would bring the threat of the fuel crunch during what the Federal Aviation Administration has forecast will be the busiestin 15 years.
Alaska’s contingency plans include expanding its trucking operation to bring in more supply, as well as tankering fuel into Seattle on inbound flights and “assessing tech stop options along certain routes to conserve fuel,” a spokesperson for the airline said.
Delta Air Lines, which also uses Sea-Tac as a hub, is taking steps to mitigate impacts, including transporting extra fuel via tanker trucks. The company is “closely monitoring” the fuel supply, and it has “no operational impacts at this time,” a Delta spokesperson said in an email.
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The pipeline was initially shut following the discovery of a leak in Snohomish County. One of the system’s two pipelines resumed service Nov. 17, but BP later halted operations again,.
BP didn’t immediately provide a comment.
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The pipeline system transports refined products from Whatcom County, Wash., to Portland, Ore., according to the. In 2023, more than 21,000 gallons of gasoline spilled from the same pipeline system, according to the department.
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