Airlines for Europe (A4E), which represents airline companies in Europe, requested the European Union (EU) to take measures against the risks and increasing costs related to jet fuel supply.
Brussels-based A4E, which includes various airline companies such as Lufthansa, Air France-KLM and Ryanair, published a statement regarding the problems experienced by the sector as a result of the developments in the Middle East.
In the statement, it was pointed out that the EU should monitor jet fuel supply with information received directly from suppliers, and asked for the temporary suspension of the obligation for airlines to refuel at least 90 percent of the airports they fly to, within the scope of EU rules.
In the statement, the importance of making extraordinary situations more clear within the scope of the rules regulating passenger rights was noted, and it was requested that fuel shortages throughout the EU, closure of airspace due to conflict, official security warnings and conflict-related air traffic control directives be accepted as extraordinary situations in terms of compensation in this period.
In the statement, it was suggested that in order to maintain transportation and reduce passenger costs in the face of increasing fuel prices, the Emission Trading System (ETS) should be temporarily suspended, the ETS costs should be limited and reduced, a temporary 100 percent refund within the scope of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) allocations should be provided, coordination between member states at the EU level, the VAT applied to domestic tickets should be reduced and the aviation taxes should be abolished.
In the long term, the importance of EU-wide measures was pointed out in the statement, and it was requested to add kerosene provisions to the oil stocks rules, to encourage joint purchasing of kerosene at the EU level, to impose obligations regarding jet fuel availability, and to implement targeted refinery obligations to secure jet fuel supply.
Last week, the Airports Council International (ACI Europe) warned that European airports could face jet fuel shortages within three weeks if trade flows in the Strait of Hormuz are not fully opened.
Due to supply constraints, jet fuel prices in European countries reached record levels, increasing by 100 percent compared to pre-war levels.
In particular, regions such as Europe that are heavily dependent on jet fuel supplies from the Persian Gulf are among the most vulnerable to supply disruptions.
While jet fuel restrictions were imposed at some airports in Italy due to the cut in the supply, some airline companies warned that summer flights across Europe would be at risk if the war continued.
