Europe faces a systemic jet fuel shortage within three weeks. Prices have more than doubled since late February, and airlines are pushing Brussels for emergency action. Airport operators warn the crisis will hit right as the summer season begins.
The European Commission has sought to temper alarm. Spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said no evidence of a fuel shortage exists in the EU yet. Supply problems could arise soon, particularly for jet fuel. EU refineries cover around 77 per cent of domestic consumption; the rest depends on imports.
An Energy Union task force meeting last Friday confirmed crude oil supplies to refineries remain stable. The Commission unveils a broader energy package on 22 April. Itkonen declined to say whether jet fuel measures would feature — the package, she said, “will take a very holistic approach” to the energy crisis.
Airlines turn to Brussels
Airlines for Europe (A4E) set out its demands in a document seen by Bloomberg. The group, which represents Deutsche Lufthansa, Air France-KLM, and IAG SA among others, has also asked the EU to allow the import and use of Jet A fuel, widely used in the United States.
The conflict in the Middle East has closed swathes of regional airspace, disrupting operations. Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz in late February. Around 40 per cent of Europe’s jet fuel supply normally passes through the waterway. “These are temporary measures to weather us through the current situation, plus more long-term planning to be prepared for the future,” said Ourania Georgoutsakou, A4E’s Managing Director.
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Airlines have said they are likely to pass increased fuel costs on to passengers, with A4E members indicating fares may need to rise. With the peak summer travel season approaching, the airport lobby group ACI Europe has warned that Europe could face systemic jet fuel shortages within weeks if disruption to the strait persists.
Calls for regulatory flexibility
Airlines also asked the EU not to penalise carriers unable to use airport slots due to airspace closures or fuel disruptions caused by the conflict. Further proposals include imposing obligations on refineries to make jet fuel available across the bloc.
If the passage through the Strait of Hormuz does not resume in any significant and stable way within the next three weeks, systemic jet fuel shortage is set to become a reality for the EU. — Olivier Jankovec, Director General, ACI Europe
The airline industry wants swift action. The summer travel season is one of the busiest periods of the year. With US–Iran ceasefire talks under way in Islamabad and the strait still largely closed, the window is narrow. “If the passage through the Strait of Hormuz does not resume in any significant and stable way within the next three weeks, systemic jet fuel shortage is set to become a reality for the EU,” ACI Europe Director General Olivier Jankovec warned in a letter to EU commissioners on 9 April. Whether Brussels moves quickly enough may determine how smoothly Europe’s summer skies operate.
