Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on November 24, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleBP's Olympic Pipeline shutdown affects airline fuel supply during Thanksgiving. Airlines implement contingency plans to minimize disruptions at Sea-Tac.
By Nicole Jao
NEW YORK (Reuters) -BP's Olympic Pipeline system remained offline on Monday as the oil major along with state and local authorities continued probing what caused the leak near Everett, Washington. Major airlines have turned to contingency plans to minimize impact on flights during the busy Thanksgiving travel week.
The fuel leak was first reported on November 11. BP restored one of the two pipelines east of Everett that had been shut to determine the source of some product discharge. The restored line was shut down again shortly after, halting refined product deliveries on the system.
"Over 200 feet of pipeline have been excavated to date. Crews are operating around the clock and will continue overnight operations tonight," BP said in an emailed statement on Monday.
The timeline for restarting the pipeline is not available, the company said, the total amount of leaked product is still being assessed.
The 400-mile Olympic Pipeline system moves refined petroleum products including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel from northern Washington to Oregon.
Last week, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared an emergency following the pipeline shutdown, which has disrupted jet fuel supplies to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac).
Operations at Sea-Tac have not seen major disruptions as airlines turn to contingency plans, a spokesperson said. "We encourage travelers to stay in touch with their airlines about their specific flight."
CONTINGENCY PLANS
Major airlines including Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines have implemented plans to minimize impact to flights during busy Thanksgiving travel week.
Delta has transported extra fuel via tanker trucks into Sea-Tac to supplement fuel reserves and added refueling stops to a number of outbound domestic long-haul flights, the carrier said in an emailed response.
Alaska Airlines has tankered fuel on inbound flights to Seattle and expanded its trucking operations to bring in extra fuel, in addition to adding a fuel stop to roughly a dozen flights per day.
"We continue to minimize the impacts of the Olympic Pipeline fuel leak. We do not expect disruption to our operations at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport through the Thanksgiving travel week," Alaska Airlines said in a statement.
(Reporting by Nicole Jao in New York; Editing by David Gregorio)
A pipeline is a system of pipes used to transport liquids or gases over long distances. In this context, it refers to the transportation of refined petroleum products.
Jet fuel is a specialized type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. It is crucial for the operation of commercial airlines.
Contingency planning involves preparing alternative courses of action to be implemented in response to potential future events or emergencies, ensuring minimal disruption to operations.
An emergency declaration is an official statement made by authorities to recognize a situation that requires immediate action or assistance, often enabling access to additional resources.
Refined petroleum refers to the processed form of crude oil, which has been purified and is used to produce fuels like gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.
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