It was business as usual for refuelling services at the Rankin Inlet airport July 24, after jey fuel was unavailable for three days during the annual re-supply to the community from the evening of July 18 until 6 a.m. July 22. - Michele LeTourneau/NNSL photo

KIVALLIQ
If weather hasn't been disruptive enough this summer season, frequent flyers and people sending or waiting for cargo may have experienced a spike in disruption July 19 to 22 while the annual jet fuel re-supply was carried out in Rankin Inlet.

The Rankin Inlet airport was operating under a NOTAM - notice to all airmen - regarding the lack of refuelling services.

"Samples of the new jet fuel have been sent for testing to certify the quality of the fuel meets the regulators' standards. These results are expected back today or tomorrow," said Hilary Casey, communications officer with Community and Government Services on July 21.

The NOTAM was lifted early July 22, when the fuel was certified.

Of the three main airlines - Calm Air, First Air and Canadian North - it was Calm Air that felt it most.

"It affected us more so this year than it has in previous years because we had just moved a lot of our operations in the Kivalliq to be based in Rankin Inlet, instead of in Churchill," said vice-president of operations Craig Hoffman.

"In the past, we'd get the NOTAM saying that there's no fuel available in Rankin and we'd still be able to operate all of our flights out of Churchill. We'd just take extra fuel. It would mean we'd have to take the fuel in lieu of payload in some cases and then we would just refuel, depending on where the airplane was going, because we can get fuel in Baker Lake or Coral Harbour ... we would just plan on taking extra fuel out of there."

Which is how First Air managed the lack of re-fuelling services.

"For the operational planning of the flights, we need to ensure that we upload enough fuel at other stations prior to going into (Rankin Inlet) or the affected station, and we must ensure that when in Rankin Inlet, we have the fuel to depart. This could mean that a lower payload will be offered from the departure station, pending on the payload requested. So, less cargo or less passengers onboard a flight," said First Air spokesperson Anubha Momin.

Hoffman said because all Calm Air flights originate and end in Rankin Inlet, the lack of refuelling service made operations for the airline a little more difficult.

"It did disrupt our operations. We had to cancel some flights and consolidate some to try and get everybody moved," he said, adding the company did fly from Arviat to Churchill to refuel, then return North.

These fixes can get pricey, and Hoffman says, "Would we rather not incur that cost? Absolutely. But having said that, stuff happens all the time where it just ends up being the cost of doing business. You do what you have to do."

Calm Air generally has about 13 flights a day out of Rankin during the week and on Sunday, with eight on Saturday.

The notice was issued late Saturday night, to be effective through to Sunday afternoon. But it wasn't until Wednesday at 6 a.m. that it was

business as usual.

"I don't want to throw the petroleum division under the bus or anything," said Hoffman.

"They have a lot of logistical issues to having that re-supply and they have to get the fuel inspected and certified and all that sort of stuff. I'm not going to suggest what they should do to prevent it."

He does point out, however, that because Rankin Inlet is becoming such a hub for services in the North Calm Air is pretty dependant on that supply.

First Air did not cancel flights. Canadian North reported they were unaffected by the refuelling notice.

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