Austin Airport Warns of Jet-Fuel Shortage as It Sees a Rush of Travelers

(Bloomberg) -- Austin, Texas, airport officials warned of an impending jet-fuel shortage amid a surge in travel to and from the state’s capital city.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport issued a fuel-shortage alert on Monday and urged airlines to carry extra fuel or send in more supplies via tankers, said Sam Haynes, a spokesperson.

The airport’s two fuel-storage tanks haven’t been expanded or augmented since it opened in 1999, Haynes said. As a result, the Austin facility typically holds one to two days of supply, less than half the five-to-seven days of fuel stockpiled by most airports of similar size, she said.

“We’re aware of fuel quantity issues at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and we are working to mitigate potential operational issues by tankering fuel on some inbound flights,” said Dan Landson, a spokesman for Southwest Airlines Inc., the airport’s largest carrier by passenger load.

No flights have been canceled or diverted as a result of the fuel situation, she added. The airport saw more than 8,000 passengers before 8 a.m. on both Sunday and Monday, which is about 25% above normal, Haynes said. 

“The on-hand supply just isn’t enough to keep up with demand,” she said. “This is all a result of the tremendous growth we’ve seen” in the Austin area. 

The crush of passengers was so dramatic that security lines stretched outside and onto sidewalks, and long waits meant many missed their flights, the Austin American-Statesman newspaper reported.

American Airlines Group Inc.’s flight schedule has not been affected by the shortage, a spokesperson said. 

The supply squeeze wasn’t expected to impact Air France-KLM’s inaugural non-stop flight to Amsterdam scheduled for Monday afternoon, Haynes said.

The Austin airport ranked No. 29 in the U.S. based on 2021 passenger traffic, according to federal data. 

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