Europe About to Suffer Jet Fuel Shortages
ACI (Airports Council International) Europe’s director-general, Olivier Jankovec, has warned in a letter to the European Commissioners that, “A supply crunch would severely disrupt airport operations and air connectivity – with the risk of harsh economic impacts for the communities affected, and for Europe”. At this stage, we understand that if the passage through the Strait of Hormuz does resume in any significant and stable way within the next three weeks, systematic jet fuel shortage is set to become a reality for the EU (European Union).
In the week ending Friday 3rd April 2026, the European jet fuel benchmark price was at an all-time high of $1,838 p/tonne as opposed to a pre-conflict price of $831p/tonne. The director-general went to mock the commission for lack of monitoring with regard to jet fuel production and availability, suggesting they should intervene as relying on market forces alone is currently not an option. ACI also urged the commission for the restrictions and regulations on importing jet fuel to be temporarily lifted, whilst advising that the price of jet fuel will remain elevated in the medium to long-term.
Analysts advise that the European politicians and officials did nothing to predict and alleviate the potential shortages of jet fuel, and it is expected that airlines focusing on air travel within Europe will start cutting back on flights. The airline industry is important to the European economies GDP as it contributes EUR 851 Billion and supports 14 million jobs.
