Airlines work to meet fuel supply demands

After narrowly avoiding jet-fuel shortages at several big airports last summer, some U.S. airlines are stepping up investments in fuel storage and pipelines, though executives say the industry is still highly vulnerable to supply disruptions.

Because of regional fuel-distribution bottlenecks, airports in California, Florida, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah and the Washington, D.C. area remain the top trouble spots, according to industry officials, who said carriers routinely fly into these markets with extra gallons on board or schedule expensive last-minute deliveries by truck.
Nevertheless, airlines appear to be gettting better at coping with the problem, executives said, noting there have been far fewer severe fuel crunches this summer — so far.

“It’s either very encouraging or very lucky. I don’t know which,” said Bob Sturtz, managing director for fuel at UAL Corp.’s United Airlines.

Yahoo!