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Lawmakers said Reno-Tahoe International Airport faces a shortage of jet fuel that could force the cancellation of cargo and passenger fights. Photo Credit: Reno-Tahoe International Airport
A shortage of jet fuel, coupled with supply chain issues and an urgent demand from firefighting aircraft, continues to cause problems at airports around the West.
In Nevada, state and federal lawmakers said they are investigating a possible shortage of jet fuel that could delay cargo delivery and passenger travel at Reno-Tahoe International Airport in the coming days.
A spike in demand for jet fuel both by commercial airlines and from firefighting aircraft in Montana and the Pacific Northwest led to departure problems and daylong flight delays recently at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport.
Pilots asked to conserve as Western airports run low on jet fuel By Allison Elyse Gualtieri, Kathryn Krupnik
July 26, 2021 / 10:02 PM / CBS News Jet fuel shortage disrupts flights in Western U.S.
Jet fuel is in high demand out West, where supply chain disruptions and demand from airlines and firefighting units are hitting both passenger flights and cargo. American Airlines even told its pilots to conserve fuel, warning them in a memo obtained by CBS News that delivery delays that started at small and midsize airports in the West could continue through mid-August. These challenges are not only impacting airports and airlines but also the efforts to fight the large forest fires on the West Coast, the memo states. American Airlines station jet fuel delivery delays initially affected mostly western U.S. cities, but are now being reported at American stations across the country.
Lawmakers said the Reno-Tahoe airport serving Nevada’s second-largest metro area faces a shortage of jet fuel that could force the cancellation of cargo and passenger fights, potentially restricting the flow of tourists and essential goods into the northern part of the state.
Besides serving Reno, a popular gambling destination, the airport is the nearest passenger terminal to Lake Tahoe.
Nevada’s political leaders issued a statement late Saturday pledging to minimize disruption at the airport and ensure the aerial fight against Western wildfires isn’t hampered.
“To be clear, further failure to secure adequate fuel supplies is unacceptable,” wrote Gov. Steve Sisolak, U.S. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, and U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei.
US Wildfires 2021: Thousands Of Homes Under Threat; Jet Fuel Shortages Disrupt Flights In US West
KEY POINTS
Five firefighters were injured while battling Montana’s wildfires
The Bootleg Fire still to be fully contained, growing in the east
Airports in the west are reporting jet fuel shortages
Wildfires continued their death dance across the U.S. West over the weekend, with hundreds of homes burned down in California and thousands more threatened, causing evacuations and sucking in firefighting resources. Airports in the western United States reported a shortage of jet fuel as demand from firefighting aircraft kept rising.
The biggest wildfire in California, the Dixie Fire, merged with the smaller Fly Fire over the weekend and leveled dozens of homes in Indian Falls, Northern California, Fox-owned KTVU reported. As of Sunday, the merged fire has been 21% contained, officials said.
US Wildfires 2021: Thousands Of Homes Under Threat; Jet Fuel Shortages Disrupt Fights In US West By Marvie Basilan
on July 26 2021 1:45 PM Wildfires across the U.S. continue to threaten homes and have affected commercial and cargo flights due to jet fuel shortages.
Wildfires continued their death dance across the U.S. West over the weekend, with hundreds of homes burned down in California and thousands more threatened, causing evacuations and sucking in firefighting resources. Airports in western United States reported a shortage of jet fuel as demand from firefighting aircraft kept rising.
The biggest wildfire in California, the Dixie Fire, merged with the smaller Fly Fire over the weekend and leveled dozens of homes in Indian Falls, Northern California, Fox-owned KTVU reported. As of Sunday, the merged fire has been 21% contained, officials said.