Europe faces jet‑fuel risk
European regulators are scrambling to build an emergency jet‑fuel plan because much of the continent’s aviation fuel moves through the Strait of Hormuz and that route is currently disrupted. Reuters reports Europe imports about 75% of its jet fuel from the Middle East and officials are working contingency plans as tanker traffic slows (reuters.com). Energy authorities warn supplies could run short in weeks — the IEA’s Fatih Birol said Europe has roughly six weeks of jet fuel left under current conditions, a point also flagged by Euronews and the New York Times (euronews.com, nytimes.com).
European officials are drawing up an emergency jet-fuel plan as disrupted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz threatens airline supplies within weeks. (reuters.com) Reuters reported on April 16 that Europe gets about 75% of its jet-fuel imports from the Middle East, leaving airports and airlines exposed as shipments through the Gulf slow sharply. The European Union is weighing contingency steps to stretch supplies and redirect fuel flows. (reuters.com) International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol said on April 16 that Europe has “maybe six weeks or so” of jet fuel left under current conditions. He said flight cancellations between European cities could start soon if the strait does not reopen to normal traffic. (euronews.com) Jet fuel is the refined kerosene that powers commercial aircraft, and Europe buys much of it as a finished product rather than making all of it at home. When tankers cannot move normally through Hormuz, the problem hits both crude oil shipments and the export of already-refined aviation fuel. (pbs.org) The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s main energy chokepoints, carrying roughly a quarter to a third of global oil shipments and about a fifth of liquefied natural gas before the latest disruption. Europe does not rely on the route equally for every fuel, but aviation fuel is one of its clearest weak points. (euronews.com) Airport operators have been warning Brussels that the squeeze is moving from price shock toward physical shortage. Airports Council International Europe told the European Commission that shortages could begin at the start of May if tankers do not resume significant passage. (euronews.com) The strain is already showing up at airports. Euronews reported that four airports in northern Italy imposed jet-fuel restrictions this month, with priority given to long-haul and medical flights. (euronews.com) Governments and companies are also trying to replace lost Gulf supply with cargoes from elsewhere. Reuters reported that buyers have turned to the United States for additional shipments, while the International Energy Agency has said member countries are already using emergency oil-stock measures to ease wider market disruptions. (reuters.com, iea.org) Birol said the wider market damage is already visible in refined fuels, with jet fuel among the products hit hardest by the loss of Hormuz transit. Europe’s emergency plan now comes down to one variable: whether enough ships can move fuel again before airport reserves run too low. (iea.org, euronews.com)
