Pilots asked to conserve as Western airports run low on jet fuel
By Allison Elyse Gualtieri, Kathryn Krupnik
July 26, 2021 / 10:02 PM
/ CBS News
Jet fuel shortage disrupts flights in Western U.S.
Jet fuel is in high demand out West, where supply chain disruptions and demand from airlines and firefighting units are hitting both passenger flights and cargo. American Airlines even told its pilots to conserve fuel, warning them in a memo obtained by CBS News that delivery delays that started at small and midsize airports in the West could continue through mid-August.
"These challenges are not only impacting airports and airlines but also the efforts to fight the large forest fires on the West Coast," the memo states. "American Airlines station jet fuel delivery delays initially affected mostly western U.S. cities, but are now being reported at American stations across the country."