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United Airlines resumes Seattle cargo after fuel shortage resolution

Pipeline leak prompts light-loading, other measures to manage airlines’ fuel use

Eric Kulisch
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A Delta Air Lines jetliner passes a United Airlines aircraft at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Feb. 3, 2025. (Photo: Shutterstock/Nate Hovee)
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Key Takeaways:

  • United Airlines has temporarily halted cargo shipments on narrowbody flights to and from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport due to a severe fuel shortage.
  • The fuel shortage stems from the week-long shutdown of BP's Olympic Pipeline following a leak, though repair plans are now being developed.
  • Other airlines with significant operations in Seattle, such as Alaska and Delta, are implementing measures like fueling at departure cities, using tanker trucks, and adding fuel stops to mitigate disruptions.
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(UPDATED 12:30 p.m. ET)

United Airlines announced Tuesday afternoon that it has lifted a planned embargo for cargo on narrowbody flights at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport after news that crews have begun to repair a leak in the pipeline serving the airport. The leak, which lasted more than a week, created fuel shortages for airlines.

United Cargo (NASDAQ: UAL) said in a note to customers late Monday that it would place a temporary embargo on all shipments to and from Seattle carried on single-aisle passenger aircraft, such as the Boeing 737-800 and the Airbus A320, starting on Wednesday. Small parcels under 100 pounds and life-saving medical shipments were to be exempt from the ban. 

“This measure is being implemented out of caution to support fuel conservation efforts at the airport and will be in effect until further notice,” United Cargo said. 

BP’s Olympic Pipeline has been shut for more than a week because of a fuel leak near Everett, Washington. BP released a statement Monday night that crews had identified the source of the leak and are developing plans for repairs and a partial restart. 

Alaska Airlines (NYSE: ALK) and Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL), with the largest presence and fuel requirements in Seattle,  have moved to minimize the disruption to travelers during the busy Thanksgiving period. 

Alaska Airlines is gassing up fully at departure cities to allow aircraft to make roundtrips and reduce the amount of fuel needed from Sea-Tac airport, the company said in a statement. It has also expanded operations to supply jet fuel by truck and is adding a fuel stop to about a dozen domestic long-haul flights per day. The fuel stop allows a flight to depart Seattle with limited fuel and land at an airport along the flight path to pump in additional fuel before continuing to the destination airport. 

Delta has also transported extra fuel with tanker trucks, but discontinued fuel stops on select long-haul flights on Tuesday, Delta spokesperson Morgan Durrant said.

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Eric Kulisch

Eric is the Parcel and Air Cargo Editor at FreightWaves. An award-winning business journalist with extensive experience covering the logistics sector, Eric spent nearly two years as the Washington, D.C., correspondent for Automotive News, where he focused on regulatory and policy issues surrounding autonomous vehicles, mobility, fuel economy and safety. He has won two regional Gold Medals and a Silver Medal from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for government and trade coverage, and news analysis. He was voted best for feature writing and commentary in the Trade/Newsletter category by the D.C. Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He was runner up for News Journalist and Supply Chain Journalist of the Year in the Seahorse Freight Association's 2024 journalism award competition. In December 2022, Eric was voted runner up for Air Cargo Journalist. He won the group's Environmental Journalist of the Year award in 2014 and was the 2013 Supply Chain Journalist of the Year. As associate editor at American Shipper Magazine for more than a decade, he wrote about trade, freight transportation and supply chains. He has appeared on Marketplace, ABC News and National Public Radio to talk about logistics issues in the news. Eric is based in Vancouver, Washington. He can be reached for comments and tips at ekulisch@freightwaves.com