European Union airports could start running out of jet fuel in the coming weeks unless the Strait of Hormuz opens soon.
In a letter to the European Union, industry association Airports Council International (ACI) said that its members are increasingly concerned about jet fuel availability.
ACI pointed out that the summer tourist season would soon be getting underway, which would see a rise in demand for jet fuel and increase pressure.
In the letter, first reported by the Financial Times, ACI director Olivier Jankovec said that if the passage through the Strait of Hormuz does not resume in “any significant and stable way within the next three weeks” a systemic jet fuel shortage is set to become a reality for the European Union.
Any jet fuel shortage would “severely disrupt airport operations and air connectivity”.
The warning comes as the Strait of Hormuz has been largely closed to commercial shipping since the outbreak of the US/Israel-Iran war.
This closure has resulted in fuel constraints as around 20-25% of the world’s supply of oil transits the maritime chokepoint.
The capacity constraint has pushed up fuel prices and IATA/Platts figures show that the average price of jet fuel has risen from around $100 per barrel in February to just under $200 last week.
The rising cost of jet fuel is also expected to contribute to increases in airfreight rates over the coming weeks as transport operations become more expensive.
To help manage the situation, ACI has called for the creation of an EU monitoring platform to help coordinate the response and map availability.
The organisation would also like to see imports from alternative locations and joint procurement across member states.
“It is essential that the European Commission conducts such mapping/assessment and monitoring,” said Jankovec in the letter.
ACI would like the mapping to cover current and projected jet fuel availability and needs; Identification of alternative imports and measures that can be taken to increase production/refining within the EU; Monitoring of potential threats to Intra-EU flows of jet fuel from EU refineries and import hubs; and assessment of commercial and strategic reserve levels, possible timeline for their use and destination of such use.
ACI also called for the lifting of restrictions and regulatory constraints that limit the ability to import jet fuel.
Jankovec said the situation had also highlighted the vulnerability of the EU’s jet fuel supplies.
“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,” he wrote.
“This situation needs to be addressed as a priority as part of the EU’s strategic autonomy agenda.
“Safeguarding and future-proofing air connectivity requires an EU plan to recover and develop refining capacity for jet fuel, along and in parallel with more effective support for the production and affordability of SAF as per the EU mandates set by the RefuelEU Regulation.”
Source: https://www.aircargonews.net/cargo-airport/2026/04/eu-airports-face-jet-fuel-shortage-unless-strait-of-hormuz-reopens/
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