News / US jet fuel shortage sees carrier place embargo on cargo

© Stephen Griffith

In yet another blow to US aviation, cargo is facing embargos – and could be the service most impacted by a shortage of jet fuel. 

On 11 November, the Olympic fuel pipeline was shut down after a leak was discovered, leading to a shortage of fuel in Washington state.

Most affected was Seattle-Tacoma (SEA) Airport and, with Thanksgiving just around the corner, cargo is expected to take a hit as airlines prioritise passengers. 

United Cargo told customers yesterday that due to “fuel supply constraints”, from tomorrow it would be “placing a temporary embargo on all narrowbody cargo shipments transported on flights to and from SEA”.    

It added that its QuikPack (expedited shipments) and Lifeguard (urgent medical shipments) products were not included in the embargo. It also reassured customers that its trucking services at the airport had not been impacted. 

United said: “This measure is being implemented out of caution to support fuel conservation efforts at the airport and will be in effect until further notice.  

“This embargo does not currently impact United’s flight schedule or cargo routed through other locations.” 

The state governor has declared an emergency in a bid to keep SEA supplied with jet fuel, by trucking it in and relaxing driver-hours rules. Airlines have added technical stops to schedules and are rearranging their networks. 

Delta said customers on international long-haul flights out of SEA “may experience schedule adjustments” until Friday. The carrier is reportedly transporting extra fuel via tankers, and has added refuelling stops on some long-haul flights. 

SEA saw a 10.3% increase in volumes last year over 2023, to 460,062 tonnes, ranking it 21st among US airports by cargo volume. Delta is the biggest player, but the top freighter operators at the airport are Korean Air, China Airlines, Asiana, Cargolux, EVA Air and Air Incheon. Both EVA Air and China Airlines have issued travel advisories warning of some disruption. 

BP, which operates the Olympic fuel pipeline, said it did not have a timeline for restarting it, and was assessing the amount leaked.

The news follows yet another shake-up in US airfreight, the grounding of the MD-11 fleet, which has impacted FedEx, UPS and Western Global. 

MD-11 pilots at Western Global have now been furloughed, suggesting there will be no quick return to the air for the ageing aircraft. 

Nearly 70 pilots, more than half, are said to have been affected according to pilot groups on social media. One wrote: “I am sure quite a few of the furloughed pilots are looking at moving to different carriers, since they gave us roughly 10 hours’ notice that we were getting furloughed.” 

There are concerns that this could be the beginning of the end for the carrier, which filed for – and exited – Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023, in part owing to its heavy debt, ageing and costly-to-maintain fleet, and falling demand. Western Global owns 15 MD-11Fs, and just four 747s, one of which is parked, which it now has to rely on.