Hamburg airport facing delays due to bottleneck at fuel supplier

Flight travellers to Germany’s Hamburg should brace for delays and cancellations as the airport faces a shortage in kerosene, it said on Thursday.

“Flight operations are currently running smoothly. However, we expect that there may be schedule changes and delays at Hamburg Airport in the coming days,” Hamburg Airport told dpa.

Airlines operating at Hamburg Airport are currently affected by an unexpected shortage at the Heide refinery, a facility to the north of Hamburg that supplies airlines at the airport with fuel, it said.

The cause and the extent of the bottleneck was currently unclear, according to the airport.

Airlines and suppliers are racing to find a solution, the airport said, asking passengers to check their flight status before travelling.

According to the airport, aircraft are refuelled by the airlines and their respective suppliers, as well as the operator of the fuel depot at Hamburg Airport.

The airport itself is not involved in the procurement, storage, sale or delivery of kerosene, nor in the refuelling of aircraft, it said.