'Once that's gone, we're almost grounded': Saskatoon aviation businesses scrambling as airport fuel tanks run dry
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Saskatoon aviation businesses are scrambling to find alternate fuel supplies after the airport’s two distributors ran out of the 100-octane gasoline used to power most piston-engined aircraft.
Imperial Oil Ltd. halted “avgas” distribution last month after identifying a “potential fuel quality issue,” the company reported in a news release.
On Friday, Nav Canada published a bulletin stating the tanks in Saskatoon were dry — and could remain empty until summer.
Mitchinson Flight Centre co-owner Dan Glass said his flight school has spent the last month trucking in fuel for its eight aircraft at a 10 per cent premium, and has no assurances about what will happen when that supply runs out.
“Based on our historical fuel burns, we’ll use that up in a month or two — and once that’s gone, we’re almost grounded. There is no more fuel,” Glass said Monday in an interview.
Josh Hinz, Apex Aviation’s chief flight instructor, said his company is relying on its 10,000-litre tank for now, but could be reduced to one aircraft — which burns jet fuel — should the shortage continue.
“It’s going to be a huge loss for a lot of companies,” Hinz said, adding that fuel sourced from the U.S. could cost between $2.10 and $2.30 per litre, compared to the local price of about $1.50 per litre.
Imperial stopped shipping avgas from its Strathcona refinery and asked distributors to stop selling it after learning the fuel could interfere with the fuel tank sensors in some aircraft.
Earlier this month, the company reported making “significant progress” on the issue, including finding alternate fuel supplies, and said it expected its avgas supply to customers would “normalize” by the end of March.
Jon Harding, a spokesman for the Calgary-based company, on Monday confirmed that timeline is still in place. The bulletin issued Friday, however, states that new fuel supplies are not expected until mid-June.
Saskatoon Airport Authority spokeswoman Lori Sly confirmed the corporation that runs the airport sent the bulletin to Nav Canada on behalf of the facility’s two fuel distributors and three months is the maximum length for such a notice.
Neither fuel distributor could be reached for comment on Monday.
The avgas shortage will not affect aircraft powered by jets or turbines, such as those flown by the major airlines; those engines run on Jet A or Jet A-1, which is based on kerosene.
Glass said while he could convert three of his aircraft to run on automobile gasoline — called “mogas” — should supply issues persist, it would shorten the engines’ lifespans and is far from a long-term solution.
“This is a concern for all of Canada,” Hinz added.
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