European Airlines Face Fuel Shortages Within Weeks

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/16/business/europe-airlines-jet-fuel-strait-hormuz.html

European Airlines Face Fuel Shortages Within Weeks
If tankers do not soon begin crossing the Strait of Hormuz, airlines in Europe may not have enough jet fuel to operate all of their flights.
By Niraj Chokshi
April 16, 2026 Updated 8:47 a.m. ET

The war in Iran has forced airlines to raise prices and cut flights. But soon, some of them, particularly in Europe, could struggle to find enough jet fuel to put planes in the sky.

Ryanair, the low-cost airline that dominates flying within Europe, said this week that its suppliers could guarantee it enough jet fuel only through most of May. The airline said fuel could be in short supply if ships laden with energy did not soon begin passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway on Iran’s southern coast.

Iran has effectively blocked most shipments of crude oil, jet fuel and other goods through the strait since the start of the war. After peace talks failed over the weekend, the United States imposed its own blockade to cut off Iranian exports through the strait. Iran responded on Wednesday by threatening to disrupt trade across the region.

Europe is heavily reliant on imported jet fuel because many of its oil refineries have shut down in recent decades. Britain, the largest consumer of jet fuel in Europe, has just four refineries, down from 18 in the 1970s, according to a parliamentary report published in December.

Europe is by far the biggest consumer of jet fuel shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. Shipments through the strait account for about 41 percent of all European jet fuel imports and about 36 percent of all African jet fuel imports, according to Macquarie Group, an Australian financial services firm.

...