Mere weeks earlier than the summer holiday rush, airways throughout the globe are going through jet fuel shortages on account of the US-Israeli war with Iran – and, extra particularly, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
While beforehand Donald Trump introduced a conditional ceasefire on 7 April, following 40 days of missile and drone assaults from each side, the US president has since advised Bloomberg in a telephone interview that it is “highly unlikely that I’d extend it,” if a deal will not be reached earlier than the deadline on Wednesday 22 April.
Amidst all the tensions, journey to and from the Middle East has been unsteady, with flights cancelled, schedules decreased, and travellers left stranded. So, too, has the airspace in the area been closed off, that means flights to different locations have likewise been affected.
The struggle between the US and Iran has additionally considerably impacted the value and availability of oil and jet fuel, with consultants warning that air journey could change into harder, and, due to this fact, change into costlier.
So, how much jet fuel does the UK have?
Despite Chancellor Rachel Reeves stating to the BBC on 16 April that the UK has “no issues with supply at the moment”, on the identical day, the International Energy Agency mentioned that Europe solely had six weeks’ price of jet fuel left earlier than flight cancellations grew to become inevitable – taking us to the finish of May.
Energy knowledgeable Fatih Birol, the head of the International Energy Agency, additionally added that this could possibly be “the largest energy crisis we have ever faced.”
How has the US-Iran battle impacted jet fuel ranges?
The struggle prompted the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a passage by which usually round 20 per cent of the world’s oil and pure fuel flows.
On 19 March 2026, the UK authorities launched a press release, saying: “We condemn in the strongest terms recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure, including oil and gas installations, and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces.
“We express our deep concern about the escalating conflict. We call on Iran to cease immediately its threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block the Strait to commercial shipping and to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2817.”
The results of the Strait closure has been a drastic spike in fuel prices – Reuters claims that “jet fuel prices have spiked, pushing up operating costs, with European prices doubling and Asian prices up almost 80 per cent since US and Israeli strikes on Iran began in late February.”
On Wednesday 8 April, simply after the ceasefire was introduced, oil prices took a drastic hit, with the benchmark value of Brent crude oil falling by round 13 per cent a barrel in a single day, and US-traded oil taking a 15 per cent tumble. The replace additionally had a knock-on impact on markets, with London’s FTSE 100 share index leaping by 2.53 per cent in opening commerce.
Even so, in current weeks, fuel costs rocketed from roughly $85 to $90 per barrel to a staggering $150 to $200 per barrel.
Ahead of the ceasefire on Tuesday 7 April, consultants warned of cuts to flight schedules, in addition to cancellations, with The Independent’s Simon Calder reporting that Air New Zealand had made drastic modifications to its home community in May and June “due to the ongoing impact of high jet fuel costs” – grounding one in 25 flights.
Elsewhere, the Australian authorities warned it had solely a 30-day provide of jet fuel left, whereas different Asian and European airways have equally been making contingency plans.