Airlines prepare contingency plans amid fears of jet fuel shortages

International

Rising tensions in the Middle East could disrupt fuel supplies and affect global flight operations

Airlines are preparing contingency plans as concerns grow over possible jet fuel shortages linked to escalating tensions in the Middle East. Industry leaders warn that fuel supplies in some regions could come under pressure if the conflict begins to disrupt key energy routes.

Executives across the aviation sector say uncertainty about future fuel availability is becoming an increasing concern, particularly beyond the immediate short term.

Short-term supplies secure, outlook uncertain

According to industry reports, some airlines have received assurances that fuel deliveries will continue in the coming weeks. However, the outlook further ahead remains unclear.

Kenton Jarvis, head of low-cost carrier easyJet, said suppliers had guaranteed deliveries for the next three weeks but offered little certainty beyond that timeframe.

“But no-one’s telling us ‘we have no immediate issues in six weeks’, because they’re not prepared to say that,” Jarvis said.

Long-haul routes face higher risks

The potential impact of fuel shortages is expected to vary by region. While the UK and parts of Europe are believed to have sufficient fuel supplies for now, airlines operating long-haul routes may face greater risks, particularly in regions that depend heavily on imported fuel.

Air France-KLM CEO Ben Smith said the group is already preparing possible scenarios to deal with a potential shortage.

“We’re putting in plans today to draw up scenarios on how we would deal with the shortage of fuel,” Smith said.

Southeast Asia particularly vulnerable

Industry leaders highlight Southeast Asia as a region where airlines may face greater challenges due to their reliance on fuel supplies from the Gulf.

Smith noted that European airlines could potentially refuel within Europe, but aircraft flying to certain Asian destinations might struggle if fuel supplies were disrupted locally.

“South-east Asia is much more dependent on fuel coming over the Gulf than Europe is. We can get fuel out of Europe, but when we go to a south east-Asian city we’re not going to be able to fly the plane back. If there’s no fuel, you can’t fly,” he said.

Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), warned that the situation could develop into a significant supply challenge.

“This is a bigger supply issue than we’ve seen before,” Walsh said.

Flight schedules could be affected

Airlines caution that if fuel shortages intensify, flight schedules may need to be reduced. Such disruptions could affect travel demand during busy holiday periods.

Meanwhile, Brent crude oil was trading at around $108.27 per barrel on international futures markets at the end of the week, slightly down by 0.3%.

Efforts to stabilize the market have so far had limited impact. These include an agreement among International Energy Agency member states to release 400 million barrels from strategic petroleum reserves, temporary exemptions by the United States for Russian oil shipments stranded at sea, and the suspension of certain maritime regulations.