UNTIL fuel supplies are restored at the Nadi International Airport, airlines have been advised to refuel at other airports before arriving in Fiji.
Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Viliame Gavoka said the advisory remained in force following an incident last week involving Virgin Australia flight to Brisbane from Nadi to make an unscheduled stop at Noumea in New Caledonia because of limited fuel supplies at Nadi Airport. Mr Gavoka said the shortage followed disruptions to fuel supplies after the Strait of Hormuz crisis, while increased airline operations had placed further pressure on available stocks.
“Now that all the airlines are flying with full force,” he said.
“The demand is much greater than the supply.” Mr Gavoka said the situation was expected to stabilise within days, with a new fuel shipment due to arrive by the end of the month. He said airlines had been issued a notice advising them to refuel at other airports before arriving in Nadi because there was no surplus fuel available at the airport. “What we normally do is what we call a no-term. A no-term is a notice to air partners. And we told them, look, we cannot refuel in Nadi. Fill up before you come to Nadi, because we knew that the supply was limited in Nadi.”
Mr Gavoka said the measure was necessary to ensure fuel remained available for Fiji Airways and medical evacuation services. He said the advisory remained in force until the new shipment arrived and supplies at Nadi Airport were restored.
