6 Weeks of Jet Fuel left in Europe

There’s already a topic about this issue
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/possible-jet-fuel-shortages

Ok, thanks...should have done a search before I posted. Guess I was in a bit of a panic as the news was on every major website I visited leaving me wanting to be with like-minded people who have upcoming European trips planned.

and there is this one too....https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/tours/shortage-of-jet-fuel

So far in Italy there are refueling restrictions in place at the airports of Venice, Treviso, Milan Linate, Bologna. Air carriers are asked to arrive with extra fuel as refueling will be restricted.

The Brindisi airport was totally out of fuel last week so airplanes were required to land with sufficient fuel necessary for the return trip to the next destination. Not sure about the situation at those airport now.

For those who plan to rent cars, try to refuel often and not travel close to empty. My cousin told me that some of the stations are running out of fuel (at least temporarily until the next delivery) so occasionally he has to try at multiple gas stations. He said that diesel fuel is available. I guess the spike in diesel fuel prices has prompted diesel cars owners to keep cars in the garage (the Italian government has ended the favorable tax treatment for diesel fuel on January 1, 2026, so now diesel fuel costs 25% more than gasoline).

Roberto, thanks for the advice regarding refueling one's rental car and not allowing the gas gauge to approach anywhere near empty! Seems like each year my trip to Italy becomes more "exciting" -- with this year including a possible prolonged "vacation"! So far -- my love of Italy continues to override all potential hardships. Let's hope this trend continues.

I’m supposed to fly from Budapest to Bari on May 24. If that’s an issue, probably trying to route to Rome and take a train down to Trani the following day won’t be much better….

Supposed to be flying back to US from Brindisi on 5/22. I spent far too much time searching for flights and dates and the perfect combination getting back to PDX from Puglia- the dream is brindisi to LHR to PDX, 15 hrs to home. Months ago purchased, we leave in 3 and half weeks (hopefully). Of course after Covid I am thankful for every successful trip- we shall see, it is completely out of our control.

Darn the bad luck; we could get stuck in Europe for a few more days at the end of our trip. I guess I could live with it.

With my luck, I’ll get stuck in Munich airport instead of on Sardinia, but yeah, it could be tricky this spring. Repeat after me, it could be worse. Am I worried because of my natural level of anxiety? Sure, but I’ll reserve most of my empathy (and rage) for those who are really suffering with this.

One of my high school friends is an Executive VP at Assa Abloy (a European multinational) and constantly traveling the world visiting their plants, and he was at a meeting in Dubai until Feb 28. On the way to Sydney, as he was taking off, Iran started to bomb the airport. He sent me a WhatsApp from Sydney and he was still shaken up. So there are even scarier times when one travels these days.

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/eu-working-jet-fuel-plan-iran-crisis-threatens-air-travel-2026-04-16/

According to that article Europe refines ~2/3 of its jet fuel, but almost a quarter of the jet fuel is imported as refined jet fuel from the Middle East.

IF it can get the crude oil a reduction in flights of ~25% is reasonably foreseeable. I did not see in the article where the crude that Europe refines comes from, or how much is from the closed off Middle East.

Barring a stunning and immediate re-opening of supply, things could get 'interesting' in the not very distant future.

Need a focal point for hope? Well, forget about pinning your hope on BYO jet fuel. For a 4,000 mile flight a Boeing 787-9 uses about 24,000 gallons or 80 gallons per passenger. A somewhat better cause for hope is the fact that a fuel tanker typically takes (only) 18 to 25 days to travel from the Strait of Hormuz to Genoa, Italy, via the Suez Canal. Or, you can hope your long distance flight has a bit of special status: in Europe there are about 30,000 airline flights per day, while there are only 60 RT flights per day between the US & CA and Italy.

OP here, just wanted to add that I'm flying United to Rome mid May and several weeks ago received notification that my seat assignment was changed. I now realize that this was due to a change in plane type. Going from 777-200 to a 777-300ER which is larger, newer and is more efficient on a seat-mile basis -- typically burning less fuel per passenger than the smaller 777-200. So I guess this is one of the ways that airlines can make adjustments under circumstances like this.

Priority will be given to long haul flights over 3,000km, so I read. I presume they will ask carriers to cancel flights for segments covered by ground transportation (trains). However eventually the world needs a better solution. I read from an energy analyst in Italy that the Saudis have already increased the transfer of crude to an existing pipeline connecting to the industrial port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, to bypass the strait. Another pipeline from the UAE to Fujairah in Oman also bypasses the strait. I think more are planned, but it will take time.