Hilton Head's Airport Had a Jet Fuel Shortage on Sunday Amid Busy Summer Start. Why?

    June 22, 2021
    A jet fuel shortage at Hilton Head Island's airport grounded at least one flight Sunday, frustrating and confusing passengers.

    By Sam Ogozalek

    Source The Island Packet (Hilton Head Island, S.C.) (TNS)

    Jun. 21—A jet fuel shortage at Hilton Head Island's airport grounded at least one flight Sunday, frustrating and confusing passengers.

    The cause? A lack of working truck drivers in the post-pandemic economy, said Jon Rembold, Beaufort County's airports director.

    Airlines on Hilton Head contract with companies that regularly deliver fuel to the island, Rembold said. Those companies in recent days have reported a shortage of truck drivers.

    "Unfortunately, we can't influence that at all," Rembold said.

    It's the latest labor shortage during South Carolina's slow recovery from COVID-19. The Lowcountry has also reported a dearth of cleaning workers, restaurant employees and hotel staff.

    The truck driver issues now add another level of uncertainty to this summer's tourism season. The Fourth of July is right around the corner, and a surge of newly vaccinated travelers are regularly flying into Hilton Head.

    "We never had (these) issues before," Rembold told The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette on Monday.

    Four fuel deliveries were canceled Sunday, but as of Monday morning the airport's fuel supply was no longer a problem, Rembold said.

    One truck arrived late Sunday, and another got in early Monday, he said.

    Another five deliveries were expected later Monday. Those five trucks will contain about 40,000 gallons of fuel, Rembold estimated.

    Two United flights were canceled due to the shortage, Rembold said. Another was diverted.

    Skyler Hjelm, of Columbus, Ohio, was on one of the canceled flights. She was scheduled to depart at 4:30 p.m. Sunday for her trip home.

    But about 7:15 p.m., the plane's pilot told passengers that the airport had a fuel shortage, Hjelm said. She got off the plane 30 minutes later.

    "We're all kind of in the dark at this point," Hjelm said Monday.

    Hjelm originally flew into Hilton Head last Thursday for a quick vacation in Savannah. She said she has no idea how she'll now get back to Columbus.

    "We don't know how much longer we're going to be here," she said.

    A United spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Driver shortage

    The Washington Post on June 15 reported that trucking companies from South Carolina to Maryland have been forced to turn away business because "they didn't have enough workers and new tractor-trailers are in short supply."

    Spike in travel

    The Hilton Head airport has recently seen a spike in passengers. Weekend travelers have been greeted by long lines and delays.

    The number of visitors at the north-end airport is up five times from four months ago, Rembold previously said in early June. Although summer traffic is usually busy on Hilton Head, that increase blew expectations out of the water.

    Rembold has attributed the boost to pent-up demand from vaccinated travelers and new flights at the airport.

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