In Europe they are warning: we only have fuel left for flights for six weeks

Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), warned that continental Europe has enough jet fuel left for about six weeks. This is against the background of the disruptions in the supply of oil from the Middle East following the war in Iran. According to him, if the flow does not return in time, there may be flight cancellations. “We will soon hear that flights from city A to city B are canceled due to a lack of jet fuel,” the head of the agency told AP.

The crisis has dragged on since the first attacks at the end of February, after which the Strait of Hormuz, one of the main oil routes in the world, was closed. Even after the temporary cease-fire between the US and Iran, supplies still have not recovered. Since then, Europe has lived on shipments that left before the start of hostilities and continued to arrive, and according to the head of the agency, they have almost run out. According to sources in the industry, airports and airlines usually keep about six weeks’ worth of inventory, and that is the window that remains now.

After oil prices have risen since the beginning of the war, and following the increases the prices of fuel and electricity also began to rise, Birol clarifies that the impact will not stop at aviation: “It hurts economic growth and inflation, and the longer it goes on, the worse it gets.”

easyJet actually tried to calm the pressure, and CEO Kenton Jarvis says there is operational certainty until mid-May, with no immediate fear of supply.