ACI Europe warns of a systemic fuel shortage unless the Strait of Hormuz reopens, as Italian airports begin emergency rationing and fuel prices double.
The European aviation industry is facing a critical three-week countdown to a systemic fuel collapse, as major industry bodies warn that the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz is strangling global jet fuel supplies.
In a stark open letter addressed to the European Commission for Transport on 9 April, ACI Europe—the representative body for the continent’s airports—signalled that the industry is nearing a breaking point.
Approximately 40% of the world’s aviation fuel supply is currently bottlenecked, with over 170 million barrels of crude oil stranded in the Persian Gulf.
Despite a diplomatic ceasefire between the US and Iran this week, the agreement has yet to stabilise prices or restore maritime corridors.
Emergency Rationing Begins
The impact is already being felt on the tarmac. Jet fuel prices have surged to $1,573 per tonne, a twofold increase from pre-conflict levels.
With fuel reserves in several European nations dwindling to a mere 8–10 days, emergency measures have moved from theory to reality.
In Northern Italy, a cluster of major hubs—including Milan Linate, Bologna, Venice, and Treviso—have implemented mandatory fuel rationing.