Munich Airport: The Lufthansa Group, which also includes the Swiss airlines Swiss and Edelweiss, is calling for help from the EU through its association.Image: www.imago-images.de
The Iran war is causing nervousness among airlines. Now they are demanding support from the EU – on several occasions.
April 14, 2026, 8:01 p.mApril 14, 2026, 8:01 p.m
Will airlines soon run out of jet fuel? This question is currently occupying aviation like no other. The reason for this is US President Donald Trump’s war on Iran: The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which oil deliveries from the region are usually transported, is causing alarm in the industry.
As a result, there have already been restrictions on kerosene supplies at Asian and Italian airports in recent days (CH Media reported). As the DPA news agency reports, European airlines are now turning to Brussels with clear demands.
Concerned about the impending kerosene shortage and further consequences of the Iran war, they are demanding emergency measures from the EU Commission. The Airlines for Europe (A4E) association is in favor of monitoring the availability of kerosene at EU level with direct information from suppliers. The association includes, among others, the Air France-KLM group, Ryanair, Easyjet, British Airways, Iberia and the Lufthansa group, which also includes Swiss and Edelweiss.
Fear of slot loss
The association is also campaigning for financial relief: for example, it wants a temporary suspension of the emissions trading system and an abolition of aviation taxes. Under the EU emissions trading system (ETS), airlines must purchase certificates for the emission of climate-damaging gases.
The association also calls for legal clarity and security in existing legislation, for example with regard to so-called slots. An airline must use these take-off and landing windows at popular airports in order to retain them. Among other things, the association advocates that slots not used due to airspace closures as a result of the conflict are not considered unused. On Tuesday, for example, Swiss announced that it was extending its flight stop to Dubai until July 11th due to the situation in the Middle East.
The association is also bringing into play regulations on minimum reserves of aviation fuel and joint purchasing of kerosene at EU level. “These are temporary measures to get us through the current situation, as well as longer-term planning to be prepared for the future,” says managing director Ourania Georgoutsakou.
Are there any risks of flight cancellations in the summer?
The European airport association ACI had already warned at the weekend: If transit through the Strait of Hormuz is not resumed “to a significant and stable extent” within the next three weeks, it is assumed that a kerosene shortage in the EU is likely to become a reality.
A spokeswoman for the European Commission said there was currently no evidence of fuel shortages in the European Union, but supply problems could arise soon. “We are currently coordinating very, very closely with our member states and the industry,” said the spokeswoman.
In just a few months, the most important season of the year for the airlines will begin with the summer holidays. Could flights even fall victim to the kerosene shortage or high kerosene prices? “We are currently not planning any adjustments to our flight operations due to a lack of fuel or price increases,” says Swiss spokeswoman Silvia Exer-Kuhn. The fuel supply at the Swiss locations in Zurich and Geneva is “currently ensured”.
Alarm in Asia
Swiss currently sees “no concrete restrictions” on flight operations at its destinations either. But: “We are monitoring the development of the situation very closely – especially in Asia,” says Exer-Kuhn. If there were supply bottlenecks, this would most likely be where they would be expected. “The reason is that Asia is heavily dependent on products from the Arabian Gulf and China.”
The spokeswoman emphasizes that the situation is dynamic and could change at short notice. “We are taking the necessary precautions within the Lufthansa Group so that we can react quickly and specifically if necessary.” Swiss kerosene is purchased through the Lufthansa headquarters.
A well-known Buebe trick in the industry is refueling tourism: Airlines sometimes refuel more at foreign airports because the kerosene is cheaper there. Would this also be possible in this case if kerosene were to become scarce in Europe? “We have not changed anything in our strategy for refueling our aircraft,” says Exer-Kuhn. “As a rule, an aircraft is refueled at the departure airport for the outbound flight and at the respective destination for the return flight.”
There are clear EU regulations on this. However, in exceptional cases it could happen that the fuel for the return flight is already on board, for example in the event of short-term supply bottlenecks.
The kerosene hangover threatens from May
Most recently, at the request of CH Media, the Federal Office for National Economic Supply (BWL) announced that Switzerland’s supply is expected to be secured until the end of April. From May onwards, the lack of deliveries will probably also be felt in Europe.
“Appropriate measures have been prepared in the event of a supply bottleneck,” says business administration spokesman Thomas Grünwald. This means the federal government can release compulsory camps if necessary. However, they only cover the airlines’ kerosene needs for 3 months. The question would therefore arise as to how much of the compulsory stock should be released if it is assumed that the shortage will continue for a longer period of time. (fwa)