Flights cancelled at Saguenay-Bagotville airport after fuel leak forces evacuation

A fuel leak at the Saguenay-Bagotville Airport forced officials to evacuate the terminal. The Saguenay police forces patch at a news conference in Quebec City on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

SAGUENAY, Que. — SAGUENAY, Que. — A fuel leak at the Saguenay-Bagotville Airport today forced officials to evacuate the terminal and cancel flights.

The Saguenay fire department and firefighters from neighbouring CFB Bagotville were dispatched to the airport after an alert about aircraft fuel spilling from a tank.

A spokesman for the town of Saguenay, about 175 kilometres north of Quebec City, says the leaking tank can hold 18,000 litres of fuel, and some of it spilled near the tarmac.

Dominic Arsenault says firefighters are currently recovering the spilled fuel using absorbent materials, and environmental teams will also be on site to help with the cleanup.

The main airport building and all buildings within an 800-metre radius have been evacuated but no injuries were reported.

A Sunwing flight took off as scheduled Monday morning, before the spill, but other flights scheduled today were cancelled or postponed.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2025.

The Canadian Press