Mere weeks before the summer holiday rush, airlines across the globe are facing jet fuel shortages as a result of the US-Israeli war with Iran – and, more specifically, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
While previously Donald Trump announced a conditional ceasefire on 7 April, following 40 days of missile and drone attacks from both sides, the US president has since told Bloomberg in a phone interview that it is “highly unlikely that I’d extend it,” if a deal is not reached before the deadline on Wednesday 22 April.
Amidst all the tensions, travel to and from the Middle East has been unsteady, with flights cancelled, schedules reduced, and travellers left stranded. So, too, has the airspace in the region been closed off, meaning flights to other destinations have likewise been affected.
The war between the US and Iran has also significantly impacted the price and availability of oil and jet fuel, with experts warning that air travel may become more difficult, and, therefore, become more expensive.
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 same day, the International Energy Agency said that Europe only had six weeks’ worth of jet fuel left before flight cancellations became inevitable – taking us to the end of May.
Energy expert Fatih Birol, the head of the International Energy Agency, also added that this could be “the largest energy crisis we have ever faced.”
How has the US-Iran conflict impacted jet fuel levels?
The war prompted the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a passage through which typically around 20 per cent of the world’s oil and natural gas flows.
On 19 March 2026, the UK government released a statement, 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 result of the Strait closure has been a drastic spike in fuel costs – 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, just after the ceasefire was announced, oil prices took a drastic hit, with the benchmark price of Brent crude oil falling by around 13 per cent a barrel overnight, and US-traded oil taking a 15 per cent tumble. The update also had a knock-on effect on markets, with London’s FTSE 100 share index jumping by 2.53 per cent in opening trade.
Even so, in recent weeks, fuel prices rocketed from roughly $85 to $90 per barrel to a staggering $150 to $200 per barrel.
Ahead of the ceasefire on Tuesday 7 April, experts warned of cuts to flight schedules, as well as cancellations, with The Independent’s Simon Calder reporting that Air New Zealand had made drastic changes to its domestic network in May and June “due to the ongoing impact of high jet fuel costs” – grounding one in 25 flights.
Elsewhere, the Australian government warned it had only a 30-day supply of jet fuel left, while other Asian and European airlines have similarly been making contingency plans.
