Europe fuel warning
Reporting flagged jet‑fuel shortages as a potential disruptor for European travel, linking the risk to tensions that could affect fuel flows via the Strait of Hormuz (Travel And Tour World) (travelandtourworld.com). At the same time, carriers like Finnair and Norwegian have publicly said they currently have stable fuel supplies, and Jet2 issued a fresh airport alert urging passengers bound for popular holiday spots such as Portugal to arrive earlier than usual (Helsinki Times; Cambridgeshire Live) ( ).
Europe’s airports are warning that jet-fuel shortages could hit within three weeks if traffic through the Strait of Hormuz does not resume in a stable way. (cnbc.com) Airports Council International Europe said that in a 9 April letter to European Union transport and energy commissioners, and Reuters reported the warning on 10 April. The group said a “systemic” shortage could disrupt airport operations ahead of the summer peak. (euronews.com; msn.com) The risk starts with Europe’s import dependence. ACI Europe said air connectivity supports 851 billion euros in gross domestic product and 14 million jobs, and the group tied the fuel threat directly to reduced flows from the Gulf. (cnbc.com) The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow shipping lane between the Persian Gulf and the open ocean, and about 20% of the world’s oil moved through it before the current war-related disruption. CNBC reported that traffic through the strait has been effectively halted since the conflict that began on 28 February. (cnbc.com) Jet fuel is already much more expensive. CNBC, citing the International Air Transport Association, said jet-fuel prices were up 103% month on month as of March, while Euronews reported prices at about $1,573 a tonne on 10 April, more than double pre-conflict levels. (cnbc.com; euronews.com) That has not turned into a uniform airline crisis yet. Helsinki Times reported on 12 April that Finnair and Norwegian both said they had enough fuel to keep operating and saw no immediate disruption to flights. (helsinkitimes.fi) Finnair communications chief Päivyt Tallqvist said the airline was monitoring the situation and saw no current impact on operations. Norwegian communications director Mira Linnamaa said availability was “very good,” and the airline had visibility on fuel supply at least until the end of May. (helsinkitimes.fi) Some carriers are already adjusting elsewhere. Helsinki Times said Scandinavian Airlines cancelled about 1,000 flights in April and added a fuel surcharge after jet-fuel prices in Europe doubled. (helsinkitimes.fi) Jet2’s latest passenger alert points to a different pressure point: airport processing, not fuel. Cambridge News reported on 12 April that Jet2 told passengers flying to Faro in Portugal to arrive “as early as possible” because of long queues and extended waits. (cambridge-news.co.uk) Those Faro delays were linked to new European Union Entry/Exit System border checks. Algarve Daily News reported queues of up to an hour at Faro after Portugal rolled out the expanded biometric system, and Xinhua later reported that Portugal suspended biometric data collection at Lisbon, Porto and Faro on 12 April after excessive waits. (algarvedailynews.com; thestar.com.my) For travelers, the picture on 13 April is mixed: Europe’s airport lobby is warning about a fuel crunch within weeks, while some airlines still say their own supplies are stable and current delays in places like Faro are being driven by border controls instead. (cnbc.com; helsinkitimes.fi; cambridge-news.co.uk)
