Is Europe Weeks From Jet Fuel Shortage and Supply Chaos?

Is Europe weeks away from jet fuel shortages - and what can aviation supply chain leaders do now to secure fuel, protect routes and minimise disruption?

Europe's looming jet fuel crunch is a stress test for aviation's entire supply chain, from Gulf refineries and tankers, through European terminals and pipelines, to regional airports and summer holiday routes.

With around half of Europe's jet fuel imports sourced from the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut, the sector has just weeks to adapt its networks before systemic shortages hit.

Around 40-50% of Europe's jet imports normally transit the Strait of Hormuz, meaning the closure instantly removes a critical artery in the global aviation fuel supply chain. With no Europe‑bound jet cargoes passing the Strait since the conflict began, traders are drawing down stocks and scrambling to re‑route flows from other regions.

The result is a record European jet price - about 120% above pre‑war levels - that signals genuine physical tightness, not just market speculation.