Fuel outage sparks investigation after canceled flight chaos

Travelers flying to or from Western Australia’s main airport were left in limbo on Saturday after a fuel pressure issue in the supply system prevented planes from being refueled.

Airport general manager Jason Waters said the outage occurred in the facility’s common distribution system, with outside experts responding to resolve the problem Saturday afternoon.

Air was drawn into the distribution system, he said.

“Our engineers and technicians worked through the evening and early this morning to identify, repair and retest the system,” Waters told reporters.

“We are now back to normal fueling operations and obviously we are very eager to see a return to normal operations.”

As of 4:30 p.m. Saturday, 68 flights had been canceled due to the fault, but delayed flights had been cleared.

Mr Waters said the breach would be subject to a full technical review and investigation.

“I would like to think that by tonight and tomorrow we will have this problem resolved,” he said.

Further delays are possible as airlines work to clear the backlog of canceled flights in Perth. (David Woodley/AAP PHOTOS)

“But given that we are talking about some long-haul flights and (with) the extent of the delay, it could take a while.”

It would be up to airlines to determine whether more flights would be canceled as they worked to reduce the backlog.

The canceled flights included departures from Perth to Sydney, Darwin, Brisbane, Kuala Lumpur and Bali, as well as arrivals from the same locations.

Some arrivals were diverted to other airports, including a flight from London which was forced to land at Karratha in northern WA.

The airport said it would work with airlines to reduce the backlog and help passengers reach their destinations.

“We once again thank passengers and our airline partners for their patience and understanding,” a spokesperson said.

Travelers are advised to check their flight status before traveling to the airport. (David Woodley/AAP PHOTOS)

Qantas issued an update to its passengers on Saturday, explaining that the cancellations and delays occurred because no planes on the ground at the airport had access to fuel.

Affected customers have been contacted directly and all travelers have been advised to check their flight status before traveling to the airport.

Federal Minister Matt Keogh expressed his frustration with passengers, saying it was a “very stressful” situation.

“I sympathize first with the passengers, because every time you are caught in chaos at an airport, it is very stressful,” he told reporters on Saturday.

Passengers departing from Perth on Saturday were advised to contact their airline for further information on their flights.