- Airports Council International Europe has warned of a possible systemic jet fuel shortage within three weeks.
- The warning has come in a letter to the European Commission dated 9 April 2026.
- Jet fuel prices have risen to between $150 and $200 per barrel.
- Air connectivity contributes €851 billion in GDP annually and supports 14 million jobs.
- The group has requested mapping of fuel availabilities and alternative import sources.
Airports Council International Europe has warned that the continent could face a systemic jet fuel shortage within three weeks unless the Strait of Hormuz opens up. The group has sent a letter to the European Commission dated 9 April 2026 that calls for urgent EU-wide action to secure supplies ahead of the peak summer travel season. The body has stated that a fuel crunch would harm the European economy.
Air connectivity contributes €851 billion in GDP annually to European economies and supports 14 million jobs. Airports handle 26pc of Europe’s exports by value based on data up to 2019. Jet fuel prices have more than doubled to between $150 and $200 per barrel in recent weeks and now account for up to a quarter of operating expenses for the industry.
A meeting of the European Commission’s oil coordination group this week has revealed no EU-wide mapping or monitoring of jet fuel production and availability. The Airports Council International Europe has asked the Commission to map availabilities against needs, identify alternative import sources and assess threats to intra-EU fuel flows. The group has suggested temporary lifting of import restrictions under the methane regulation due in January 2027 along with collective EU purchasing of jet fuel.
Olivier Jankovec shared “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.”
