Birmingham Airport flights back to normal after fuel shortage caused by protests
Birmingham Airport had to ask short-haul aircraft to come with enough fuel for return journeys due to the Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion protests.
The airport was at risk of its tanks running dry following efforts to block Kingsbury oil depot in Warwickshire last week.
Aviation fuel was used sparingly to ensure that long-haul flights could be refuelled.
Airport executives said that flights were “largely unaffected”, as short-haul airlines were asked to land with extra fuel as a precaution. Supplies were also sourced from other depots.
Andrew Holl, director of airfield operations for Birmingham Airport, said: “The protests at Kingsbury depot caused minor delivery problems but our operations were largely unaffected because we sourced fuel from other depots and some incoming aircraft were asked to come with enough fuel on board for their return trips.”
The measures were lifted earlier this week and services are back to normal. No flights were cancelled due to the fuel issue
The airport is expecting to handle more than 400,000 passengers over the Easter fortnight.
On average 28,000 customers a day are expected to go through the airport. It is deploying staff in support roles to provide extra help to customers, including reminders on making sure hand luggage is compliant before they go into the security check zone.
