If you’re traveling through Orlando International Airport (MCO) in the next couple of days, be ready for some operational disruptions.
In this post:
Orlando Airport will run out of fuel on Sunday
As noted by @xJonNYC, there’s a bit of a fuel crisis at Orlando International Airport, and it’s going to get even worse later today. Specifically, per a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM), Orlando Airport is expected to not have any fuel from Sunday evening until Tuesday morning.
The issue was caused by bad weather along the Gulf Coast, which has presented reserve supply delivery to Florida via ships.
While the airport hasn’t yet run out of fuel, it has already started to be rationed, so airlines have been tankering in as much fuel as possible for the past day or so. This means they’ve been flying to Orlando with additional fuel, so that they don’t need to refuel (or need to refuel significantly less) when departing the airport.
Admittedly this poses its own challenges. Even if a plane has the capacity to carry enough fuel for the return trip, it might not be able to land in Orlando with it. Planes have higher maximum takeoff weights than maximum landing weights.
So this isn’t a big issue for an Orlando to Miami flight, for example, but it is obviously a much bigger issue for an Orlando to Seattle or Orlando to London flight.
How are airlines handling this?
While tankering has already been happening without passengers knowing, the situation will get worse on Sunday evening, when there is expected to be no jet fuel left. Airlines are starting to publish their plans. Of the “big three” US carriers, it seems that United has already made the most proactive schedule changes.
For example, United’s first Orlando to San Francisco flight today is diverting to Dallas, while United’s later Orland to San Francisco flight is diverting to Fort Myers.
Meanwhile United’s Orlando to Los Angeles flight is diverting to New Orleans.
British Airways’ Orlando to London Gatwick flight will be stopping in Miami to refuel.
While American hasn’t yet published schedule changes, the plan is to refuel in Miami for westbound flights, and to refuel in Atlanta, Charlotte, or Jacksonville, for northbound flights.
We’ll also likely see some flight cancelations as a result of this. After all, fuel stops can significantly increase travel time, and in some cases this might cause crews to “time out,” working more than their contractual limits.
Bottom line
Orlando Airport is expected to run out of fuel on Sunday evening. While airlines have already been tankering in fuel as much as possible, operations will be impacted significantly more as of today, with many flights making refueling stops.
This shouldn’t have a major impact for short haul flights (like to Atlanta or Miami), but if you’re on a longer flight out of Orlando, you can expect you will have an extra stop, or might see flights canceled altogether.
Are any OMAAT readers impacted by this Orlando fuel situation?
Seems like although people have been inconvenienced it has been relatively well sorted.
Any updates if it actually happened?
Or it's just another WMD hunt.
Absolutely hilarious! Maybe they should follow BYOG policy - bring your own gas.
Some of these contributors are sounding like Gary Lefftovers.
VFTW has some tragic followers.
You should ask Uncle Joe Biden about Keystone XL. The US is now turning to Venezuela and Saudi to get the heavy oil needed for the Gulf Refineries rather than get clean and ethical heavy oil from your partners to the North (at cheap prices to book). Let's support dictators and murderers - can't possibly build (gasp) a pipeline that would ensure that the US has sufficient energy for the next century from a friendly...
You should ask Uncle Joe Biden about Keystone XL. The US is now turning to Venezuela and Saudi to get the heavy oil needed for the Gulf Refineries rather than get clean and ethical heavy oil from your partners to the North (at cheap prices to book). Let's support dictators and murderers - can't possibly build (gasp) a pipeline that would ensure that the US has sufficient energy for the next century from a friendly clean source.
The Canadian side of XL is complete. Instead of supporting dictators the US side could be completed as approved in less than a year.
No more fuel shortages. No more propping up dictators.
Sir, this is a Wendy’s.
Sir you're dodging the question.
Really top-notch community you built in the comments section Ben.
This top-notch community brings a lot of ad revenue.
You included Brizone...............? If you don't like it lump it and don't read!! Not Ben's doing who reads and comments. It is a travel worthy article that while has limited impact still impacts a Major airport in the US!
Ok snowflake.
Swimbikefly > would you care to explain how providing tax credits for solar panels is causing storms to make for a temporary delay in getting fuel into one specific airport in the US?
Oh right. It doesn't, you are just a full of s$#t partisan hack. Gotcha.
It is well documented that we are not refining enough oil right now. It is also well documented that Solar Panels don't help airplanes.
Also, and this is anecdotal, liberals always resort to name calling. Why?
Capitalism at work baby. Refineries are privately owned. Oil prices are down, but refineries are using inflation as an excuse to jack up the prices and still can't keep up with supply. The US government doesn't own any oil refineries.
Oil problem?
Big brother has you back.
We embargo them, have a proxy war with them, and when things still doesn't go our way, we put a $60 cap on it (against the judgement of $30 from Kermit the frog).
Problem solved.
I don't get it. This isn't an isolated island nation like New Zealand. Why not truck fuel in from Tampa or Miami? Whatever the cost, transporting by road must be far cheaper than tankering via aircraft.
Unfortunately, truck volume isn't enough to keep up with the massive fuel demand that is required to keep MCO running smoothly. MCO's main supply chain relies on vessel deliveries into the port of Tampa from various refineries across the Gulf of Mexico. When fog sets in at these load ports the vessels can not sail.
Thanks for taking the time to reply! If you don't mind a few additional questions: From the port of Tampa, is the fuel delivered via pipeline? Also, if MCO gets its fuel from Tampa, how is Tampa airport not affected by this weather? Do they have larger reserves?
Weather issue lol
Howabout an administration that is forcing our country into green energy without thinking through the consequences first issue?
How about add some IQ when you post next time?
This isn't a national issue, only Orlando or state of FL issue. So, ask our amazing (FL) Gov how this happened, since you're on it.
LMAO! TOOOOOO-SHAAAAAAY
Ask Joe remember we are to use electric vs gas... green up garbage via joe and his party
What is your liberal problem!!!
My problem as a liberal with your lot is that you're a bunch of Jesus Freak grammar-school drop-out rednecks who in reality worship an orange man with small hands.
Lefties base their entire ideology on emotion rather than logic and reason.
Global warming from burning fossil fuels leads to more severe weather patterns. Which leads to increases in all sorts of things like, oh, I don't know, shipping of jet fuel. The consequences of going green would be less severe weather, so yeah, you're right. It's great to have an administration which has thought through the consequences of transitioning to green energy. Only people who don't like living in the reality-based world seem to have a...
Global warming from burning fossil fuels leads to more severe weather patterns. Which leads to increases in all sorts of things like, oh, I don't know, shipping of jet fuel. The consequences of going green would be less severe weather, so yeah, you're right. It's great to have an administration which has thought through the consequences of transitioning to green energy. Only people who don't like living in the reality-based world seem to have a problem with it.
Also, transitioning more surface transportation to electrics, thereby reducing demand for gasoline and diesel would allow refineries to produce more jet fuel, which would also help the aviation industry.
But please, keep watching Fox News and make sure to stay outraged at whatever their corporate sponsors want you to stay outraged at.
I have a friend flying from Orlando to Dubai on Emirates tonight. I wonder where that flight will stop, especially since it typically flies directly east after takeoff over the Atlantic towards Europe. Maybe JAX? Or TPA, since I don't know if JAX can handle a 773. Or maybe MIA.
New Zealand comes to Orlando!
As a Chinese, I would expect airport fuel lines to be interconnected like the TSN-PKX fuel line or be connected via freight train, is this not true in the US?
Yes. They are, at least at major airports.
It was weather related problems with the ships delivering the fuel, not the pipelines.
From @MCO Twitter:
“Ops Update: Weather issues along the Gulf Coast had prevented reserve supply delivery of jet fuel at MCO. The weather has lifted and ships have departed.”
Never say “as a Chinese”. That’s highly racist and offensive. Always say “as a Chinese person.”
Are you a Chinese person? I sure hope you are since you are correcting a Chinese person on how to self-identify.
@Rob: I'm confused since when does Russia get its refined products from us? I think they have their own. And I would think there is an embargo (the war) stopping the transfer even if its exist which I obviously do not. If you want to stick with that thinking, then go Inside the Beltway. Remember the current administration shut down the pipeline from Canada even though they just rail it across. Lastly, I would think...
@Rob: I'm confused since when does Russia get its refined products from us? I think they have their own. And I would think there is an embargo (the war) stopping the transfer even if its exist which I obviously do not. If you want to stick with that thinking, then go Inside the Beltway. Remember the current administration shut down the pipeline from Canada even though they just rail it across. Lastly, I would think it's a pipeline issue. Jet fuel by truck @ 6,800 gallons. How far would that go in a modern jet?
@Harry. The supply disruptions, price caps, embargos, stockpiling for winter in Europe, as well as market games being played with US releasing the SPR to try to impact price, then Saudi cutting production to offset that action, then US making a deal with Venez to try to offset the offset, have all led to bastardized pricing that is unfavorable to jetfuel.
Think of it like the chip shortage during the pandemic... Auto's cancelled chip...
@Harry. The supply disruptions, price caps, embargos, stockpiling for winter in Europe, as well as market games being played with US releasing the SPR to try to impact price, then Saudi cutting production to offset that action, then US making a deal with Venez to try to offset the offset, have all led to bastardized pricing that is unfavorable to jetfuel.
Think of it like the chip shortage during the pandemic... Auto's cancelled chip contracts thinking the economy was going to crash, but then it didn't and when they tried to get the forward contracts back, the capacity was already sold to computers and stay at home device companies that bought them up, leading to shortages of chips for cars.
The broader issue is that the Russia/Ukraine war has led to refining capacity shifting toward diesel and away from jet fuel. Yes, this particular delay may be "delivery" related, but the root cause doesn't seem easy to reverse.
NOTAM is a Notice to Air Missions, no longer Air Men for obvious reasons…… pretty basic, Ben
Obvious reasons is that lefties are fragile snowflakes.