European airports could face widespread jet fuel shortages within three weeks if the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to tanker traffic, according to the Financial Times.
The British newspaper is reporting that the continent’s top airport industry body – Airports Council International (ACI) Europe- has written to EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas, urging immediate EU-level monitoring and coordinated action. In the letter, seen exclusively by the FT, the organisation cited mounting concerns over fuel availability and called for proactive intervention before the situation deteriorates further.
“Systemic shortage set to become a reality”
The warning is stark. “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,” the letter states, according to the FT.
ACI Europe noted that ongoing military activity in the region is weighing on supply, and that the imminent arrival of the peak summer travel season makes the situation all the more urgent.
A gap in EU oversight
ACI Europe’s letter also highlights a structural weakness in how Europe monitors its fuel supply chains. “There is for now no EU-wide mapping, assessment and monitoring of jet fuel production and availability,” the letter states, calling on Brussels to establish such a framework urgently.
The organisation warned that a supply crunch would “severely disrupt airport operations and air connectivity,” with potentially far-reaching economic consequences for Europe as a whole.
Despite US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a two-week ceasefire in the Iran conflict, global oil prices have remained elevated, offering little immediate relief to the aviation sector.
