Europe faces jet fuel crunch as Middle East disruption threatens flight operations

Europe could face a major aviation crisis as jet fuel reserves are projected to last only six weeks, raising concerns that flight cancellations may soon begin.

According to British media reports, Fatih Birol warned that disruptions caused by tensions around the Strait of Hormuz are driving up global prices of petrol, gas, and electricity.

He noted that countries heavily dependent on Middle Eastern fuel supplies including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, China, Japan, and South Korea are being affected first, with the impact expected to spread to Europe and the United States.

Fatih Birol cautioned that unless Europe secures at least half of its fuel imports from alternative sources, reserves could fall to critically low levels by June, potentially forcing airlines to cancel flights.

The Gulf region remains the largest supplier of jet fuel globally, while major refining hubs in countries such as South Korea, India, and China also rely heavily on crude oil from the Middle East. This dependency has disrupted the global jet fuel supply chain amid the ongoing crisis.

The report added that European markets will need to intensify efforts to secure alternative supplies to maintain adequate reserves during the peak summer travel season. Even if Gulf supplies resume soon, shortages could still emerge ahead of the high-demand period