Summary

  • Approximately 70 flights were affected due to refueling issues at Perth Airport.
  • Qantas told Simple Flying that all Qantas passengers have been accommodated on flights this afternoon or tomorrow morning.
  • Despite the resolution, the airport is still experiencing delays, with some passengers stranded.

Passengers traveling from Perth Airport (PER) on Friday night and Saturday morning were frustrated by certain airlines’ responses after refueling issues disrupted approximately 70 flights. The issue left passengers stranded at airports worldwide for hours and caused flights to be diverted to regional airports.

According to the airport authorities, the refueling issue has been resolved, and the operations have recommenced. The airport enlisted the help of external experts, such as engineers and technicians, to diagnose and fix the issue. The airport determined that the problem occurred due to an outage caused by low pressure in the system.

Approximately 70 flights affected

According to a report by Australian media outlet ABC News, at least 70 domestic and international flights were affected as a result of the refueling issue at PER airport.

Due to numerous cancelations, many passengers were stranded at airports worldwide and on planes, where they had to sit for hours. According to the report, some passengers were waiting in Doha (DOH) for hours to get to Perth.

Sunset at Perth Airport

Photo: Lukas Bischoff Photograph | Shutterstock

In addition, some passengers flying on a domestic flight from Perth to Sydney (SYD) boarded the flight, but due to a lack of fuel, they were sitting on the plane for two hours when the flight crew finally announced that the flight was canceled.

Disruptions persist

Even though PER airport has already resolved the issue, it still faces disruptions, with many arriving flights being delayed. According to Flightradar24.com data, the current arrival disruption index stands at four, indicating that the airport is experiencing “major problems with long delays and several canceled flights.”

Meanwhile, the current departure disruption index stands at 3.1, indicating that flights departing the airport are experiencing “minor problems with some delays or a few flight cancelations.” It is worth noting that the disruption index, which ranges from 0 to 5, indicates a balanced value for the number of canceled and delayed flights. The higher the index, the greater the disruption.

A Qantas Airbus A330 taking off

Photo: ChameleonsEye/Shutterstock

In a comment to Simple Flying, a Virgin Australia spokesperson reiterated that “there was an issue with refueling systems at PERTH Airport which impacted all carriers’ ability to refuel planes. The airline added, without specifying the exact number of canceled flights:

“We proactively reached out to our guests to inform them of the issue and apologized for the inconvenience. Virgin Australia has a Guest Compensation Policy that sets out what customers are entitled to when their flight is disrupted, including other flight options, and when a travel credit or a refund for the value of the booking is available.”

Meanwhile, in a statement to Simple Flying, a Qantas spokesperson said that “all Qantas passengers have been accommodated on flights this afternoon or tomorrow morning.”

What are your thoughts on this airport disruption? Have you traveled from Perth Airport lately? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments section below.

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