Manchester Airport has announced that a problem it was having with aviation fuel supplies has now been remedied and that any disruption caused to passengers by the situation is likely to be minimal. Officials at the airport yesterday warned that the supply problem might cause some airlines to divert their planes, cancel services or suffer delays.

However, by early evening on Wednesday the airport said it had experienced no disruption, that refinery production had returned to normal and that supplies would be restored by Thursday morning.

The airport gets its jet fuel from Merseyside’s Essar refinery. The fuel is pumped through a pipeline capable of carrying 250,000 per hour. Everyday the airport uses some three million litres of fuel. To transport this amount by road would require 80 tankers.

The airport’s fuel storage centre is controlled by MASHCo, which is a venture involving oil companies including Shell, BP, Exxon Mobil and Q8. The oil firms have contracts with the airlines who receive their jet fuel from MASHCo when they arrive at Manchester.

Manchester Airport issued a statement in which it said that no airlines had decided to re-route aircraft or cancel services. However, it did advise passengers to check with carriers to confirm that everything was still on schedule. A spokesman added that there could be some minor delays, but that fuel was being pumped to the airport and that following a settling period it would be supplied to all hydrants on the airfield by 8.30 on Thursday morning.