Fuel shortage worries air ambulance official

By Mary Vorsino
Associated Press

The head of the only fixed-wing air ambulance service on the Neighbor Islands is concerned that a critical shortage of the aviation fuel used for small aircraft could affect operations.

Andy Kluger, chief executive officer of Hawai'i Air Ambulance, said yesterday that the shortage hasn't yet affected flights or patient care. But a continuation of the low fuel levels — especially through the July Fourth weekend — could mean delays.

Last year, the air ambulance service undertook more than 200 flights.

Supplies of the 100-octane aviation fuel, the type of gas that small airplanes and some helicopters use, are critically low on the Big Island and Maui, officials said.

The only fuel that remains are small stocks reserved for emergency aircraft, said Anson Kwon, base manager for Air Service Hawai'i in Maui.

ChevronTexaco Hawai'i spokesman Albert Chee said he could not disclose when the next fuel shipment would arrive for security reasons.

But fuel suppliers in Hilo are expecting a smaller-than-average shipment of aviation fuel by the weekend, and officials in Kona say they're anticipating more fuel by Wednesday. Kwon said he expects more fuel in Maui by Monday.

ChevronTexaco is the only provider of the aviation fuel to the Neighbor Islands, while Air Service Hawai'i is the Islands' only distributor.

Chee said the shortage likely can be attributed to higher-than-usual demand coupled with a drop in the amount of fuel being shipped because of an out-of-commission fuel storage container. But he said ChevronTexaco Hawai'i officials are investigating other possible causes for the shortage.

"We have been working with customers to resolve some of the delivery challenges," he said. "The supply of the aviation fuel is not an issue, it's just the ability to get it to the Neighbor Islands."

Kluger said his pilots are aware of the shortage but that none of his 10 planes have been grounded because of it.

The air ambulance service refuels in Honolulu, where there is no shortage of fuel.

Although this is not the first fuel shortage for the Neighbor Islands, it's certainly the worst, business owners said.

Air Service's Kwon said tour operators and flight schools have been virtually put on hold until more fuel arrives.