Airlines reject tankers at terminal
By Michelle Wiese Bockmann, The Australian | Jan. 24, 2006
Qantas and Virgin Blue have rejected Adelaide airport's invitation to use tankers to refuel their planes at the new domestic terminal while contractors battle to clean its contaminated underground fuel system.
The two domestic airlines are refusing to shift to the new terminal until the system is clean, saying the option of using tankers puts passengers at risk.
The opening of the $260million terminal for domestic airlines has turned into a fiasco. It has been delayed for three months by contamination in the underground fuel pipe system.
Adelaide Airport managing director Phil Baker, returning from several weeks' holiday, said yesterday it was "supremely frustrating" that domestic airlines had refused to move until the terminal was ready, but they were contractually within their rights to do so.
International and regional airlines have temporarily adopted the tanker option so they can use the new terminal while contractor Hansen Yuncken works with fuel supplier Exxon Mobil to fix the fuel system.
Mr Baker said the airport had asked the domestic airlines to move and use tankers but "they've done risk assessment that suggests it is marginally more risky ... and it's not in their interests to do so".
He said there were no legal, occupational, health or safety impediments to using tankers at the new terminal, and no restrictions from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
But Qantas maintained it would refuse to use the terminal until the fuel system was fixed, saying although it uses tankers at the old terminal, it was too hazardous elsewhere.
"The parking bays and layout are not designed for tanker refuelling," said Qantas executive general manager airports and catering Grant Fenn.
Mr Fenn said aerobridges could not be used if tankers came in to refuel planes, and the interaction of passengers, tankers and on-ground equipment posed a "high-level hazard that can't be mitigated". "So, as a safety precaution, we are not prepared to operate there," he said. "We must be mindful of passenger and staff safety."
Amid criticism of poor conditions at the old terminal, the state Government applied more pressure on the airport to broker a solution to the shambles.
Mr Baker said criticism about the dilapidated state of the old terminal, used by 100,000 domestic passengers a week, was fair. He admitted the terminal handled weekend temperatures above 40C "with a great degree of difficulty".
Adelaide Airport is unable to provide a revised opening date for the new terminal.