Overview
- Data providers report record U.S. jet fuel arriving in Europe in April, with estimates ranging from roughly 125,000 to 200,000 barrels per day as traders try to backfill lost Gulf supplies.
- Flows from the Middle East have been choked by the Strait of Hormuz shutdown, exposing Europe’s reliance on that region for about three quarters of its jet fuel imports.
- Stocks at the Amsterdam–Rotterdam–Antwerp hub have dropped to their lowest since March 2023, while benchmark prices eased from a March peak of $1,800 a tonne to about $1,450 but remain elevated.
- The IEA warns Europe could hit a critical 23‑day stock level in June if it replaces less than half of the lost Middle East volumes, and Airports Council International Europe says shortages could start within weeks.
- Airlines outline contingency plans as Lufthansa flags possible groundings and industry group A4E urges EU crisis steps including real‑time supply monitoring, relief from aviation carbon costs and taxes, and permission to accept U.S. fuel made to a different specification.