Fuel-thirsty freighters overfly Alaska

ALASKA’S ongoing fuel problems are forcing freighters to overfly Anchorage for refuelling. Without being able to stop for fuel at their usual trans-Pacific midpoint, the freighters are limited to how much cargo they can carry.

The local fuel supplier – Flint Hills Resources – scaled back production last year when freighter demand plunged due to the recession. The sudden reversal in demand caught Flint Hills by surprise and it has been frantically trying to reinstate production since.

That’s too late for the freighters though who are faced with the choice of either paying for fuel that has been brought in by tankers or flying on with a reduced cargo.

And if that’s not bad enough, local government officials claim they have information that suggests Flint Hills is planning on closing one of its fuel units in October, due to predicted extreme cold weather, during airfreight’s peak season.