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QAUSUITTUQ/RESOLUTE
Resolute was getting four million litres of aviation fuel delivered by sealift this year, more than double last year's supply, due to an increase in fuel sales.

Last month Resolute had 354,000 litres of aviation fuel left out of the 1.7 million litres it received with last year's sealift, said Elissa McKinnon, spokeswoman with the Department of Community and Government Services. She added at the time of resupply in 2010, the community had 1.3 million litres of jet fuel left.

In August, she said Resolute's aviation fuel supply was "quite low," and that a Notice to Airmen was issued on June 10 advising pilots Resolute had no aviation fuel to spare.

The notice "advises air flights that are not regular flights to and from the community should probably be looking at refuelling in alternate locations, like Pond Inlet or Arctic Bay to ensure the supplies last," she said.

The situation forced First Air to fly with more fuel on board and less payload, said Jennifer Alldred, a spokeswoman with the company, last month.

As to why the the community ran low, McKinnon said it was because aviation fuel sales in the hamlet went up by 69 per cent in the past year.

"In this very isolated incident, which does not occur often at all, we ran far bellow that 15 per cent (buffer). It was (due to) unforseen circumstances - local activity, economic development in the surrounding area, exploration," she said.

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