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Are airlines going to run out of fuel this summer? UK and Europe braces for supply crisis as peak season looms

Air
Gary Noakes
17 April 2026

Flight consolidations and cancellations look likely to be a feature of peak summer – even if the Middle East conflict is resolved soon, experts fear.

An aircraft coming in to land at sunset
(Credit: iStock / Bogdan Khmelnytskyi)

Is a fuel crisis looming? (iStock / Bogdan Khmelnytskyi)

Airlines have signalled potential jet fuel shortages from late May, while the head of the International Energy Agency on Thursday (16 April) warned Europe had "maybe six weeks or so of jet fuel left".

Fatih Birol predicted "some" flight cancellations if the Strait of Hormuz doesn't reopen promptly with around 40% of global jet fuel passing through the strait.

The impact of the war in Iran is already being felt, with easyJet taking a £25 million hit from increased fuel costs in March.