EU airline industry warns of fuel shortages if Strait of Hormuz stays closed

European aviation body warns of imminent jet fuel shortages if key global oil chokepoint remains blocked. | Contesto: cronaca

Punti chiave

• EU airline industry warns of fuel shortages if Strait of Hormuz stays closed

Contesto

The trade association representing Europe's airports issued a stark warning on Tuesday, stating that the continent's airline industry faces severe jet fuel shortages within three weeks if the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime passage for global oil shipments, remains closed. The closure of the strait, a narrow channel between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, would effectively sever a primary artery for Middle Eastern crude oil and refined products destined for European refineries and, ultimately, its airports. The warning underscores the profound vulnerability of European aviation to geopolitical disruptions in the Middle East. The Strait of Hormuz is arguably the world's most important oil transit chokepoint, with an estimated one-fifth of global oil consumption passing through its waters. For Europe, which relies heavily on imports for its energy needs, a sustained blockage would trigger immediate and cascading effects on fuel supply chains. Refineries dependent on crude from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Iraq would see their feedstock dwindle, directly impacting the production of aviation turbine fuel. The three-week timeline presented by the airports' body is not arbitrary; it reflects the delicate just-in-time logistics of the aviation fuel market. Airlines and airports typically operate with limited on-site fuel reserves, relying on a constant, predictable flow from regional storage hubs and refineries. A disruption at the source would take approximately that long to ripple through the supply network, deplete existing European stockpiles, and manifest as actual shortages at airport gates. Such a scenario would force carriers to implement drastic measures, including flight cancellations, route reductions, and potentially costly fuel tankering—flying with extra fuel from locations where it is still available. Beyond the immediate operational crisis for airlines, a fuel shortage would deliver a severe blow to the European economy and its post-pandemic recovery. Aviation is a key enabler of tourism, business travel, and high-value cargo shipment. Grounded flights or a significantly shrunken network would stifle cross-border...

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Categoria: cronaca