Jet‑fuel crunch threatens flights
Airline industry reporting says a jet‑fuel shortage tied to the Iran war and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz has pushed prices up and raised the risk of route cuts and last‑minute schedule changes for Europe and parts of Asia (thepointsguy.com) (euronews.com). Aviation analysts warn the problem is already large enough to affect travellers this Easter weekend, with guidance differing on whether to cancel now or watch for airline notices (theglobeandmail.com).
Europe and parts of Asia are edging toward flight disruptions as a jet-fuel squeeze tied to the Iran war pushes airlines closer to route cuts and last-minute schedule changes. (thepointsguy.com) The warning sharpened on April 17, when International Air Transport Association director general Willie Walsh said Europe could start seeing cancellations by the end of May for lack of jet fuel. He said shortages are already hitting parts of Asia. (rte.ie) A day earlier, International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol told the Associated Press that Europe has “maybe six weeks” of jet fuel left if blocked oil flows do not resume. Euronews reported that European countries typically hold several months of jet-fuel inventory, which shows how quickly this drawdown has accelerated. (apnews.com) (euronews.com) Jet fuel is refined kerosene for aircraft, and airlines burn so much of it that it accounts for about 30% of their costs, according to the International Air Transport Association. When supply tightens, carriers first pay more, then trim weaker routes, and only after that start talking about rationing and cancellations. (euronews.com) (iata.org) Europe is exposed because it imports more jet fuel than any other transport fuel, with about 75% of supply coming from the Middle East, Reuters reported on April 17. Euronews separately reported that no jet fuel had passed through the Strait of Hormuz since the war began and that the waterway normally handles about 40% of Europe’s jet-fuel imports. (rte.ie) (euronews.com) Airport operators raised the alarm even earlier. In a letter dated April 9, Airports Council International Europe told European Union officials that the continent could face a “systemic shortage” within three weeks if Hormuz did not reopen in a stable way. (euronews.com) The price shock is already visible. The International Air Transport Association’s global average jet-fuel price was $197.83 a barrel in the latest weekly reading, while the Argus U.S. Jet Fuel Index was $4.08 a gallon on April 10. (iata.org) (airlines.org) Travelers are already seeing the first effects in fares and schedules. The Points Guy reported that U.S. domestic tickets booked three to five weeks out were running about 15% above last year, and Euronews reported that Scandinavian carrier SAS had said it would cancel at least 1,000 flights in April because of surging fuel prices. (thepointsguy.com) (euronews.com) Airlines are not telling passengers to panic-cancel. Ryanair told the Irish Times, as quoted by The Points Guy, that it cannot rule out fuel-supply risks at some European airports if the shortage lasts into May or June, while Walsh said governments should prepare coordinated rationing plans and slot relief in case supplies worsen. (thepointsguy.com) (rte.ie) For Easter weekend travelers, the immediate risk is not a blanket shutdown but a system with less slack: higher fares, thinner schedules, and more dependence on airline alerts if fuel deliveries keep stalling. (thepointsguy.com) (euronews.com)
