Countdown to crisis: EU airports could face fuel shortages within weeks
Photo: EU jet fuel supplies may run out soon (Getty Images)
European airports will face a systemic shortage of aviation fuel if the Strait of Hormuz is not unblocked within three weeks, according to the Financial Times.
The organization Airports Council International Europe, in a letter to European Commissioner for Transport Apostolos Tzitzikostas, expressed the industry’s concern over the availability of jet fuel. It stressed the need for action from the EU.
"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," the letter says.
Concerns have also intensified due to the approaching summer season, when demand for air travel rises sharply. During this period, aviation supports the entire tourism ecosystem, which impacts the economies of many European countries.
Since the start of the conflict in the Middle East, the price of jet fuel in Northwest Europe has risen to $1,573 per ton, up from $750 per ton previously.
According to European airlines, fuel supplies are expected to last for several weeks, but suppliers are not providing guarantees for deliveries in May.
After the announcement of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran, the rise in prices paused for only a few days. However, numerous violations of the truce and overall instability have led to renewed increases in oil and petroleum product prices.
The United States has issued a pessimistic forecast regarding fuel prices: global costs may continue to rise for several months even after the Strait of Hormuz is unblocked.
