Europe weeks away from jet-fuel shortage, airport group says
A fuel crunch would trigger severe disruptions to airports and airlines, significantly hurting the continent’s economy
Fishing boats dot the sea as cargo ships, in the background, sail through the Arabian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz off the United Arab Emirates, Friday, March 27, 2026. Photo by Uncredited /AP
Europe faces a systemic jet-fuel shortage in three weeks’ time if the Strait of Hormuz remains restricted until then, a regional airport trade association warns.
A fuel crunch would trigger severe disruptions to airports and airlines, significantly hurting the continent’s economy, ACI Europe wrote in a letter Thursday to two European Union commissioners.
“If the passage through the Strait of Hormuz does not resume in any significant and stable way within the next 3 weeks, systemic jet fuel shortage is set to become a reality for the EU,” the group said in the letter obtained by Bloomberg News.
The Iran war is slamming the global aviation industry
through higher oil prices, closed airspaces and restricted flight routes. Many
airlines have responded by raising fuel surcharge fees and adding levies on
baggage.
The closing of the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict put
pressure on oil markets, pushing prices above $100 a barrel. While the recent
ceasefire between the US and Iran is positive news, jet fuel and ticket prices
will remain elevated for some time, Willie Walsh, director general of the
International Air Transport Association, said earlier this week.
The concerns are growing around jet-fuel supplies because
airlines are entering the peak summer travel season, ACI Europe warned EU
Energy and Housing Commissioner Dan Jorgensen and EU Transport Commissioner
Apostolos Tzitzikostas.
In recent days, seven Italian airports restricted access to
jet fuel because of shortages. Other nations, including China, have taken
measures to safeguard local supplies.
ACI Europe called on the bloc to monitor and assess
production and availability during the next six months.
“This crisis has exposed the reduced refining capacity of
the EU for jet fuel production, and its acute dependence on imports from other
world regions,” the group said.
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